The Land Before Time: Dawn of the Seven Heroes
by Heritor
Summary: A misunderstood departure... A mysterious band of sharpteeth... A noble dream that means disaster... All three send the gang into a strange adventure where they must rely on themselves, the Rainbow Faces, and the power of the stone of cold fire.
1. Prologue

**The Land Before Time: **

**Dawn of the Seven Heroes**

_I can face the world through a different light. Though it pains my heart, all I can do is fight, fight, fight! With the power of my mind, and the strength of my friends, I'll put a stop to destruction ends._

_I will follow my destiny no matter the path. Though danger looms within, I will find the courage to win, win, win! I'll protect who're close, and save who're dear, and stop all the perils that keep drawing near._

_I won't give up and I can't lose hope. Though the troubles are many and eases are few, I won't stop till the job is through, through, through! As I gaze up and look all around, I wonder, is there really evil to be found?_

**Prologue: Read Me a Story **_**Please**_

In which bedtime leads to an epic struggle.

The sun started to retire for the day, and the moon began to take its place. A warm, gentle breeze whistled through the fields of grass and tall trees. No children roamed about, playing and laughing gleefully as they tend to do; it was the time that they were tucked in for the night. A tall, stone castle stood above all else in the kingdom. From even its lowest tower, the entire kingdom could be viewed with watchful and caring eyes. Inside the window of one of the highest towers, a dim glow could be seen, as well as two shadows moving about.

"Okay, daddy, I'm going to bed now," a small child declared.

"Now son, I know how much you like to stay up, but- wait, you _want_ to go to bed!" his father asked incredulously.

"Yep!" he answered cheerfully, jumping into his bed and pulling up his own blanket.

"My, you sure are growing up. This is the first time you've willingly gone to sleep."

"I didn't say I was going to sleep, daddy," he replied with a grin. "I said I was going to bed. Read me a story."

His father had to keep himself from chuckling. "Where did he learn that one?" he thought to himself. "All right son, but remember your manners."

"Oh yeah! Read me a story _please_."

"Good boy. Now, which one would you like to hear tonight?" he asked him.

"Well," he began, "Is there one I haven't heard yet?"

His father pondered this. He walked over to his son's bookshelf, scanned over its contents, and then replied, "I'm afraid I've read you all of your books."

"Oh... Well, what about one of your books? Got any interesting ones?"

"Hmmm. I'm pretty sure that what I find interesting, you would find boring."

"Any story'll do. Don't you have just one story book?" he pleaded.

"I do have one, but you might find it boring at your age. Besides, it is quite long. How about I just make one-"

"Ooh! I love long stories! Read it! Read it!" the child exclaimed, getting very excited. His father hesitated, so the boy added, "I can just ask if I don't understand something."

"Very well, but I can't guarantee we'll finish it tonight."

"That's okay. You can just read the rest some other time then."

"I only wish my wife was this agreeable," he thought to himself. "I'll be right back," he said aloud as he went to his quarters to retrieve the book.

He did not have to go far, since his room was just a little down the hall from his son's. His wife was snoring loudly, which blocked out the noise he made as he got the book down. He couldn't light a candle for fear of waking her, but he grabbed the right book with ease since it felt different from any of his other ones. He crept back into his son's room, only to see him fidgeting immensely.

"I was only gone a few minutes," he said with a laugh.

"Yeah but, I've never heard anything that wasn't from a child's book before. I've never even opened one for adults before."

"Probably because you can't read yet," he replied with a grin. "But who is to say if a story is for youth or the elderly? If you enjoy it, then it's right for you; it doesn't matter whether you're young, old, or something in between."

"Wow, I never thought of that."

"Well, as you get older and experience things for yourself, you will also learn a great deal. Now, let's get started, shall we?" With that, he drew attention to the book.

It was covered in dust, yet appeared brand new- an odd combination. It had a golden inscription in bold lettering on the cover.

"What does that say?" the child asked.

"It says, 'Legend of the Seven Heroes,'" came his father's reply. He opened it up to the first page. The book seemed completely new, from its binding, to its pages, to its lettering.

"How old is this book?"

"It's many years old."

"Wow, you sure take good care of it then."

"But of course. This book is my most prized possession. Well, besides you and your mother, of course. It is the only copy in existence."

"Wow. It must be super valuable!"

"You're probably right. Now then, shall I begin?"

"What is it about?" he wondered aloud.

"It's about an epic struggle of young, well, why not have me start reading and see for yourself?"

"Yeah, that's sounds more interesting. Okay, I'm ready."

With that, his father took back the book, and began to read.


	2. Chapter I

**Chapter I: A Friend in Need, Makes a Friend Indeed**

In which friends are left, and a friend is made.

The brilliant star known as the bright circle had been up for quite some time. It wasn't yet evening, but the day had already passed its brightest point. It was a warm day, and a cool breeze roamed through the trees. They began to dance back and forth, and a single leaf, called a tree star, broke free from its high branch and began drifting down slowly to the Earth below.

It was rather beautiful, with its deep green coloration and the way it fluttered about as gravity called it down. It teetered back and forth as it neared its destination, and drops of dew on its blade began falling off, like it was crying. It was almost like the little leaf was afraid of some impending danger, as it trembled through the air. As it neared the ground, the final contribution of its life became clear.

_Chomp!_

"Spike! It Ducky's turn to get first tree star of day!" Petrie exclaimed.

"Oh, that is alright. It is. It is. Spike is probably much hungrier than I am," Ducky reasoned.

"Uh huh," Spike agreed with a nod while chewing. He finished then knocked against the tree his snack had fallen from, causing many more to fall down, resulting in a pile big enough to fill the whole gang.

"Okay guys, let's get some tree stars too!" Littlefoot exclaimed to the others.

"I'm gonna get some, but not because you told me too," Cera responded.

"Huh? Did I say something wrong?" he asked her, confused.

"You're not our boss. Whether I eat or not is not your decision."

"Uh, it was just a suggestion; I wasn't _ordering_ anyone to eat," he shot back, getting a little worked up.

"Sure didn't sound like a _suggestion_."

"Two berries say Spike finish off that bush before they stop arguing," Petrie whispered to Ducky.

"You are on." Turning to her brother, she said, "There is plenty Spike. You do not need to rush."

"Hey, that no fair!" Petrie huffed. Ducky just giggled.

Spike simply continued eating, wishing that everyone would just get along.

"Would you like me to say 'Okay guys, I suggest we all get some tree stars, if that's okay with all of you?'" Littlefoot asked, getting quite angry.

"Sounds good to me," Cera replied with a shrug. "You just solved your own problem."

Littlefoot sighed, knowing that this could go on all day if one of them wouldn't be the bigger dinosaur.

"I'm sorry for starting this argument. I'll try to be more careful in the future with what I say," he said meekly.

"Uh, good," Cera replied slowly, a bit taken back at his surrender.

Petrie picked Ducky two berries.

"Hello my friends, my friends hello. What is up besides what is normally up?" a familiar voice called as its owner approached.

"Oh hi, Ruby," Littlefoot said. Seeing her alone, he asked, "Where's Chomper?" When Ruby's around, Chomper tends to be also.

"He's still back at the Secret Caverns; he isn't feeling well."

"Huh? Is he okay?" Littlefoot questioned her, quickly concerned.

"Worrying is something you don't need to do." She sighed. "It's his teeth again."

"Did he lose another one?" Cera asked.

"No, Chomper didn't lose one, two is how many he lost. That is not a bad sign though; it shows how much he's maturing. He even said he'd be okay by himself and that I should go ahead without him. Sometimes I wonder if he even needs me to look out for him anymore," she finished with a low tone. "Even though it wasn't yesterday that his parents asked me to take care of him, it certainly feels like it."

"Do not worry, Ruby. Chomper will always need you. He will. He will," Ducky added in a comforting voice.

"Thanks Ducky, but Chomper becoming independent is not a bad thing, but a thing that is good. All Sharpteeth, actually, all dinosaurs, one day learn to take of themselves. It's part of the great circle of life. Still, it will be sad for me when he's ready to be on his own. He may even end up leaving the Great Valley. That's why I want to enjoy him as much as I can while I know I still can."

Chomper had gotten used to his most recent mouth trauma and had headed toward the others. There was now only a short distance and a small bush between them.

"I wish Chomper's parents had let someone else be his caretaker. I certainly don't feel comfortable doing it, even after all this time."

Chomper froze. He had done so right behind the bush, so no one had seen him yet.

"Ruby doesn't like taking of me?" he said to himself as a small tear formed in his eye.

"I still regret agreeing to look after him."

That was all Chomper needed to hear. He quickly took off, running back down the hill he had just climbed up, all the while wiping away tears.

"You see, I really care about Chomper, so I just want him to have the best care, and the best care is something I don't think I can give."

"Don't say that Ruby! You've done so much more than just keep an eye on him, and even with that you've done great!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "Remember the first time he lost a tooth? He was so depressed but you were able to cheer him up when we couldn't. You have done so many things for him, and so well, that I can't think of a better dinosaur to be his caretaker."

"Me think so too. You do whole bunch of good for Chomper, like how helpful you been when he and Ducky trapped with Thud in Mysterious Beyond," Petrie chimed in.

"Or the time when Chomper flooded your guys' old cave. You did not get angry with him like many would have. Oh no," Ducky added. "In fact, Chomper tolded me later that you were still nice when he broke those stone teeth, and that made him feel much betterer."

"Thanks guys, to all of you I thank," Ruby told the group. "Well, I'd better go see how he's doing." She stooped over to pick up a crawler she had spotted, explained "In case he's hungry and his mouth is feeling better," then headed back to her cave.

xxxxx

"I guess I'd better go back to my parents' place. I'll just tell them I was ready to go home. I don't want them to think badly of Ruby," he thought to himself as he trudged off into the Mysterious Beyond. "Maybe I'll get lucky and see Elsie again." He slid down a small decline that led up from the valley then continued his somber trek.

He was a bit nervous. After all, last time he came out to the Mysterious Beyond on his own he was nearly killed by some other Sharpteeth. He wished that he didn't have to walk all by himself, but he didn't know anybody way out here; his far-off parents were it. However, that was about to change…

Dark clouds had begun looming overhead. The sky puffies bulged with the large horde of evaporated water they had collected. They rolled in from all directions, shielding the Earth below from the warm, brilliant rays of the bright circle. It had been a while since it had rained, so plant life was sure to appreciate such an oncoming event. Chomper, on the other hand, would not be so happy about it.

The winds began to pick up slowly, but gained speed as the minutes passed by. The trees swayed back and forth, while smaller plants like grass and flowers shook violently. Flyers in the area sought land as the skies became unsafe for travel. The clouds wasted no more time and small droplets began to descend upon the land.

At first, Chomper was too fixated on the news he'd stumbled upon earlier to care about the bad weather very much. As things continued to worsen though, he came to his senses and looked for shelter. Try as he might though, he could not. A tree, having had its support uprooted by the strong winds fell over, nearly hitting him.

"Wah!" he exclaimed as he jumped out of the way just in time. More and more trees began to lose their hold and come crashing to the ground. They were fairly small, barely big enough to scratch a full-grown Sharptooth, but to a very young one…

"Look out!" a voice roared through the air. Chomper turned around and stood dead in his tracks. Another tree had lost its grip and was about to crush him when he was knocked back a good distance. The tree crashed to the ground and splintered off into several pieces- a safe distance from him. He looked up to see another Sharptooth, black, and about twice his size. He seemed to be around Littlefoot's age and stood just a bit taller than him.

"Who're-?"

"No time. Come on!" the mysterious Sharptooth ordered. He grabbed one of Chomper's arms and raced towards a large rock formation that towered high up and over at an angle. He got underneath, pulling Chomper in with him. "We'll be safe here. It would take a lot more than wind to knock this place over," he roared gently but loudly enough to be heard over the storm.

"Th-thank you," Chomper roared to the stranger as he shivered.

"You're welcome," he answered. Then he noticed Chomper's discomfort. "Hey, you're gonna freeze like this. You don't have enough fat to keep you warm at your age. Come 'ere," he offered, holding out his arm. Chomper happily obliged and huddled in close to be somewhat protected from the chill. He had been much afraid, but with this new Sharptooth, he felt at ease.

Despite it not yet being even midday, Chomper was exhausted. The combination of traveling and his emotional trauma had drained him. It wasn't long before he fell asleep, leaning against the stranger.

The storm raged on for a while, but fleeted as daylight took its rightful place. The bright circle broke through the clouds and one of its rays shined directly onto Chomper's face. "Ungh," he moaned while shielding his eyes with an arm. He didn't stir right away, but when the realization of the day sunk in, he awoke with a start. He looked around, but he saw no one; the Sharptooth from last night was gone.

He got to his feet and walked out from under the rock formation. There were several small trees scattered across the ground, but the area didn't look _too_ bad. There was a squishing noise as he walked on the soggy grass while he got his bearings. While he wasn't very far from the course he had been on, the fallen foliage completely threw him off.

"Where am I?" he wondered aloud.

"Not far from where you were before," came a voice.

"Wah! Oh, it's you!" Chomper said, relieved at the sight of the Sharptooth from earlier. "Where did you go?" he asked him.

"I'm sorry for not telling and startling you. You seemed very comfortable so I didn't want to wake you. I was just getting these for us," he replied while revealing a large, folded leaf he was carrying. Opening it, Chomper's eyes fixated on a wide selection of buzzing buzzers, none of which flew away.

"Wow! These are for me too?" he asked as he began salivating.

"I said 'us,' didn't I?" he answered with a laugh.

"Oh boy, I love those! But, how did you get them to stay on that leaf?"

"Ah, that's one of the tricks I've picked up in my travels. A buzzing buzzer nest is full of a sweet-tasting liquid called honey. I'm not keen on eating that stuff, but it works wonders on catching these delectables. You take a large leaf, break open one of their hanging nests, get the goo all over the leaf, then when these little guys fly in to attack you, you start swatting the leaf at the swarm, and there you have it- they all get stuck to it," he explained.

"Wow, you're so smart!"

"Heh, I've just been around, that's all," he replied, handing the buzzer-covered leaf to him. Chomper took it with a hearty round of gratitude. He picked some off and munched on them gingerly, so not to aggravate his mouth pain from earlier.

"Anyway," the stranger continued, "if you don't mind my asking, what's someone as young as you doing out here all alone?"

Chomper had been warned by his parents against telling too much to strangers, but he had really warmed up to this one. He _had_ saved his life after all. "I just found out that one of my best friends wished she'd never met me, so I ran away," he replied gloomily.

"Oh, I'm so sorry. That's just awful. I shouldn't have asked such a thing. How about something more pleasant, like, what's your name?"

"I'm Chomper, but I don't mind talking about what happened. I was just about to meet up with my friends when I heard one of them say that she isn't comfortable looking after me."

"Oh my, that must have really hurt." He paused, trying to think of the best thing to say next. "You know, Chomper, that story sounds pretty hard to believe."

"What!" Chomper asked incredulously. "It's all true! I'm not lying!"

"I dunno. You seem too mature to need someone to look after you."

Chomper now turned red at his outburst. "Oh, uh, thank you. I didn't mean to-"

"Don't worry about it," the stranger roared gently. "I should have said that in a better way."

"May I ask you something?"

"Sure."

"What's your name?"

"Oh, you're right. It was rude of me to ask about you without introducing myself first. The name's Dusk."

"Will you be my friend Dusk?" Chomper asked him.

"No, I _will_ not be your friend because it looks like I already am," he replied with a grin.

"Thanks," was all that Chomper could think of to say.

"Anytime."


	3. Chapter II

**Chapter II: Strange Sight Starts Search**

In which a search begins and disappearances abound.

"Ruby, please try to calm down; you're exhausted," Littlefoot reasoned.

"You want me to calm down! Calming down is something I cannot do! I haven't seen him in a long time, and even a little time is bad! I checked the Secret Caverns, the Thundering Falls, the Sheltering Grass, all along the Fast Water-"

"Ruby!" Littlefoot exclaimed. She stopped and looked at him. "Getting excited won't help us find him. I'm worried too, but we have to think clearly about this. You said the last place you saw him was back at your cave, right?" She nodded. "Well then, let's head that way."

"But I already-"

"You were really worked up and might have missed something. Let's take this slowly and search the Secret Caverns carefully. The others are helping to clean up after the storm, but my grandparents said I could help find Chomper, so let's go." Ruby could find no objections to any of that, so the two of them set off.

"Maybe Chomper decided he doesn't need me anymore and set off on his own," Ruby wondered aloud gloomily as they walked.

"Ruby, that kind of thinking won't help the situation. If we're going to find Chomper, we need to focus on the _where_ not the _why_. Now think. What was Chomper doing when you last saw him?" Littlefoot questioned.

"Well, let's see. Last time I saw Chomper, I saw him just sitting down while rubbing the side of his mouth. That is nothing unusual since he just lost two of his teeth."

"Okay then. Let's just start loo-" suddenly, everything went black for Littlefoot. "Huh?" he said, looking around him only to see nothing. Then the darkness began to clear up and he saw the Great Valley. Something was strange though. The entire mess from the storm was gone, but Littlefoot was certain it was still there just a moment ago. "What's going on?" he asked, but there was no answer. Then all of sudden, he saw Chomper.

"Chomper!" he called, but he did not hear him. Littlefoot tried running up to him, only to find that he couldn't move. All he could do was watch. He saw Chomper approaching the rest of the group. Littlefoot couldn't believe his eyes. Amongst the group was- himself! He saw himself talking to Ruby, then Chomper approach them. As Chomper came closer, Littlefoot saw him duck behind a bush to listen to the group. Then tears began swelling in Chomper's eyes and he ran off. As Littlefoot continued to watch, he saw him leave the Great Valley into the Mysterious Beyond. Then as suddenly as these images appeared, everything went back to the way it was before.

"Littlefoot, are you okay?" Ruby asked him, concerned.

"Huh? What happened?" he asked her.

"You stopped talking halfway through saying 'looking' and seemed like you had something on your mind. Did you come up with an idea of where Chomper might be?"

"He's in the Mysterious Beyond," Littlefoot replied with utmost certainty.

"How do you-?"

"I don't know how to explain it, but I just know he's there. Come on, this way!" he called as he led Ruby to the place where Chomper exited the Great Valley.

"And uh, did you see anything, well, unusual a minute ago?" Littlefoot asked her.

"Unusual? Like what?"

"Err, never mind."

xxxxx

"He didn't stop to question it, just heeded it. Excellent," a female voice said.

"I knew that boy was intelligent. He doesn't waste time when the situation is dire," male added.

"That's enough chit-chat for now. Let's see what happens next."

"Very well. Let's go."

And with that, they were gone.

xxxxx

Two Sharpteeth walked side by side, while the younger one led.

"Thanks for coming with me. It's nice to have someone to roar to."

"No problem. I like to travel anyway. So, your parents live on an island and you live in a place called the Great Valley with your friends?"

"Yup," he replied, and then his face fell. "Or at least, I used to."

"Oh, I'm sorry again. I don't mean to keep reminding you of painful memories."

"That's okay. I know you don't mean to."

"Why not you choose something to discuss? It's safer that way," he said with a laugh. "That is, if you want to keep chatting."

"Oh yes! I like talking with you. Would you like to hear about my friends?"

"Sure. I'm all ears."

"Okay. Well, there's Ducky. She really likes water and is very nice. She repeats herself a lot when talking. Then there is her adopted brother Spike. He really likes food and is also pretty nice. He doesn't talk though. I heard he can, but he just chooses not to."

"I suppose he doesn't get in too many arguments then, huh?"

"Nope," Chomper replied with a laugh, and then continued. "There's Petrie who can fly. He doesn't like adventuring as much as the rest of us. Then there's Cera. She gets in a lot of talking fights with us. She can be really nice, but I wish she would be more often." Dusk chuckled at that description.

"Then there's Littlefoot. He's my best friend. It's like he cares about everyone, and he does a lot of nice stuff to show it. He was the first one to accept me and tried harder to be my friend than any of the others when they visited my home. (Ruby wasn't there at that time though.) Now, about Ruby. She told my parents that she'd look after me but I just found out that she really didn't want to. That's why I left. I didn't want to be around when it makes her unhappy."

"So, you have- six- friends?" Dusk asked in an odd tone of voice.

"Yup. Back in the Great Valley, the seven of us had a lot of fun."

Dusk was silent for a moment and appeared to be deep in thought.

"You said some of your friends used to be afraid of you. Does that mean they aren't Sharpteeth?" Chomper was a bit nervous at first to tell a Sharptooth he was friends with leaf-eaters, but Dusk was his new friend so he decided to tell him anyway.

"Yeah, they're all Flatteeth."

"By any chance, are they all different?" he asked sharply. He was completely unfazed by the fact they weren't Sharpteeth, much to Chomper's relief.

"What do you-?"

"I mean, is each of your friends a different species? Like Dome Head, Yellow Belly, and so forth?"

"Uh, yeah, each one is a different kind," Chomper replied slowly, a bit taken back by the sudden spurt of questions.

"So let me get this straight. You have six friends, all different, who live in a place called the Great Valley?"

"Yup, you got it."

"I'm terribly sorry. I just remembered that I have to do something important. Will you be alright walking to your parents' place on your own from here?"

"Uh, sure. Is everything okay?" Chomper asked him out of concern.

"Oh, I'm fine, really. Thanks though. It was very nice meeting you. Good-bye!" And with that, Dusk took off in another direction in quite a hurry.

"Bye!" Chomper roared out to him. "Gee, I wonder what he needed to do all of a sudden?" he thought to himself.

xxxxx

Dusk's run came to a halt when he was certain no one was around to see him.

"Menta, can you hear me?" he thought.

"Yes, Dusk, loud and clear."

"I think I found them."

"You never stray from success, do you?"

"This isn't the time for small talk. Send Coaley my location. We all have much to discuss."

"Yes, my lord, right away."

xxxxx

"Are you sure Chomper came this way?" Ruby asked Littlefoot as they went along. "We can't follow any tracks because there aren't any tracks to follow."

"I know. That storm washed away so much," he responded, looking around. "And yes, I just know Chomper came through here." The two of them came to a variety of trails. They had followed the path out of the Great Valley, and now there were numerous ways to continue on.

"I really wish you'd tell me how you know Chomper went the way we're going, especially since you didn't seem to earlier."

"I, uh, I kinda saw him leave," Littlefoot replied awkwardly.

"What! Then why didn't you stop him? And if you watched him go out this way, then why did you want to check for him back at the Secret Caverns?" Ruby wanted to know. Given the circumstances, she had every right to.

Littlefoot was feeling more and more uncomfortable. The truth is, he didn't know either. His knowledge and actions made as little sense to him as they did to Ruby. How was he supposed to explain that?

"Well, what happened was, he was there, but I was too, but not this me, I saw another one, but he couldn't hear me yell, and I couldn't move, so-"

"Hey, guys!" a familiar voice called from a distance. "You weren't thinking of going on an adventure without us, were you?"

"Me hope not."

"That would not be very nice. Oh no. Oh no."

Cera, Ducky, and Spike ran up to them with Petrie following from the air.

"Is the mess from the storm cleaned up already?" Littlefoot asked, trying to get out of having to finish explaining to Ruby.

"No, but last of mess has big trees and rocks that grown-ups have to move," Petrie told him.

"Humph! I could have helped them with the big stuff too, but I couldn't let you two go off without me. Who knows what trouble you might get into without me around?" she asked with a smirk.

xxxxx

"Hey Dusky, I found you!" came a loud, female's voice. Dusk turned to its owner and watched as she ran toward him, tripped over a tree root, and then landed at his feet.

"Oomph!" she exclaimed on impact.

Dusk put his hand on his forehead and sighed. The female Sharptooth, a brighter shade of black than Dusk, started getting to her feet, being about half his size. She was pretty much the same size as Chomper.

"Ouchy," she moaned while rubbing her back.

"Are you alright?" he asked her, offering his hand to help her up. She took it and returned to a standing position.

"Yeah," she replied quietly as she lowered her head.

"Coaley, how many times have I told you to stop running up to me like that? I mean, it's not like I was going anywhere just now."

"Um…" she replied, trying to count them on her fingers. Dusk rolled his eyes.

"Never mind. And for the last time, stop calling me 'Dusky!'"

"Yes, sir," she responded softly.

"Now, let's get back. Time is of the essence."

"Okey dokey."

Then the two of them vanished from sight.


	4. Chapter III

**Chapter III: The Race to Chomper **

In which the two groups make their move.

"They're all out of the valley," a male whispered.

"Please stop telling me things I already know," a female whispered back.

"My humblest apologies," the male replied insincerely. "Anyway, do you want to take care of Chomper, or should I?"

"What difference would it make?"

"I merely wanted to know your preference."

"How thoughtful of you. You finally ask my preference when it's irrelevant."

The male sighed. "I'll go after the boy."

"Good-bye," she said sarcastically after he was already gone. "Best get this over with," she thought to herself.

"Maybe Spike can sniff for Chomper like he did a while back," Ducky suggested.

"Oh yeah! Spike can find Chomper by his scent because he found Chomper by his scent," Ruby said excitedly.

"Don't bother," came a voice from behind them.

They all jumped besides air-born Petrie who instead let out a yelp.

They all turned around, and Littlefoot exclaimed, "It's you!"

xxxxx

Six small figures sat in a circle. Five had sharp teeth, one did not. Among those five, one had wings. The one without sharp teeth had a neck much longer than the others. The group therefore consisted of four Sharpteeth, a Sharptooth Flyer, and a Long Neck.

"Why do you think it's them, Dusky?" the female, bright-black Sharptooth asked.

"Two things. First of all, they are seven friends, each of a different species, who all live in one place- the Great Valley."

"What about the other thing, Dusky?"

"The second thing is- stop calling me Dusky!"

"Oh, right, sorry," Coaley apologized while turning red. A small, green Sharptooth snickered loudly.

"Still your tongue, boy!" the orange-colored Long Neck ordered, getting to her feet. "At least show some respect in our meetings!"

Dusk raised his hand, and she settled back down. "Thank you, my dear, but it is quite alright. Agu will learn his place in time."

Agu folded his arms and let out a dramatic "Humph!" but Dusk ignored it.

"Ma lord, if I may, what species are these friends you speak of?" the Flyer with yellow coloration asked.

"I'm not sure, though one of them is a Sharptooth, another is a Flyer, and I believe one is a Swimmer, as the boy mentioned one liking water. Why do you ask, Ceit?"

"Well, ma lord, my masterpiece went to a place called the Great Valley. During which time, it saw a group of children, seven to be exact: a Long Neck, Three Horn, Swimmer, Flyer, Spike Tail, Fast Runner, and Sharptooth. Perhaps they are-"

"Why didn't you provide this information earlier!" Dusk fumed. This was a much bigger deal than showing a little lack of respect.

"My apologies, ma lord. They acted so immaturely. I couldn't imagine them being-"

"You fool! We've been looking for children! How did you expect them to be?" Dusk continued to rant.

"Please forgive me. I just expected The Seven to be a bit more- erm, refined. Their behavior when I saw them was most uncanny."

Dusk took a deep breath and relaxed.

"Forget it, Ceit. What matters now is that we seem to have found who we've been searching for. I know the general location the young Sharptooth was in when Coaley I returned, as well as the direction he is going. I want all of you to head to the Great Valley. Coaley will take you all back to where she got me, and from there, see where our footprints were heading and go the opposite way. Menta, get the list of names from my mind that that little Sharptooth gave me, as they will be of use to you." She nodded in agreement. "If you all get to them first, they could possibly be persuaded to join us. If those two do, we could be in trouble."

"What are you gonna do, Du- uh, sir?" Coaley asked him.

"I'm going after the Sharptooth- Chomper. Now let's get moving."

They all got to their feet. As they all began to leave the meeting area, a white Sharptooth, standing just slightly shorter than Dusk, approached him.

"Very nicely done, my lord," she said.

"Thanks for your help."

"Thanks are not needed, my lord. A simple, telepathic reminder to take a deep breath and calm down is nothing, really."

"No, it was very thoughtful of you. You know I need help with my tension and I appreciate getting it. Furthermore, we wouldn't have even gotten this far in our quest if not for you finding that prophecy in Rey's mind. You deserve a great deal of thanks, Menta; I mean it."

"Anything for you, my lord. Well, I'd best be going. Good luck on your part."

"Same to you. Did you get all the information from me?"

"I did."

Then they both headed out.

xxxxx

"Get away from me!" Chomper yelled as he ran from his pursuer.

"Please stop! I only want to talk!" came the reply with huffing throughout.

"Stop chasing me first!"

"Stop running and I'll stop chasing!"

"Not going to happen!"

"Ugh, I wish I exercised more often. I can't believe I can't keep up with a little kid. He leaves me no choice," he thought to himself.

The stranger suddenly appeared directly in front of Chomper.

Chomper ran right into him and recoiled to the ground. "Oomph!"

"Now be a good boy and don't-"

"HELP!"

"-scream. Now listen, I just want to talk to you. I'm not going to hur-"

The stranger suddenly lost his footing and slammed to the ground.

"Chomper, get out of here! Run!" came a familiar voice.

Chomper turned around. "Dusk! What's going on?" he asked, very afraid.

"I'll explain later. Now go! I'll handle him."

The stranger was now getting to his feet. Chomper had been frozen in his tracks, but the urgency in Dusk's face brought him to his senses, and he ran away as fast as he could.


	5. Chapter IV

**Chapter IV: The Familiar Strangers and the Visited Valley**

In which the two strangers are revealed, and the Great Valley receives some visitors.

"Making your move, are you?" the stranger asked.

"And I see you're doing the same," Dusk replied.

Dusk and the stranger locked eyes for a couple seconds, and then backed up.

"There are plenty of shadows around to veil mine, Dusk; we're surrounded by trees, and you're all alone. You don't stand a chance," the stranger declared as he backed against a tree. The shadow of the tree completely covered his own.

"I know I've lost a lot of weight," Dusk replied with a chuckle, "but only half of my strength has left me. These trees are nothing." Dusk raised his arms towards the tree that the stranger was leaning against. "Shadow Pull!" The tree gave a great lurch and began tumbling down towards the stranger, who leaped out of the way just in time, landing on his belly.

Quickly, before getting up, he tapped the tree and shouted, "Transport!" The fallen tree vanished, appeared over Dusk's head, then dropped, but Dusk leapt out of the way.

"We're both manipulators. I don't think this kind battle is going to end any time soon," Dusk said.

"Manipulators fight often. Victories aren't so rare as you may think," the stranger replied.

"You don't listen, do you? I said 'soon.' I know very well that such battles are determined by skill, and I don't have the time to fight someone with your experience."

"I'm flattered," the stranger replied.

"Don't be," Dusk retorted. "My victory would be certain. Again, I just don't have the time." Dusk suddenly stopped, looking up towards the sky, then quickly turned around, trying not to make it obvious that something caught his eye. Dusk began to walk away hurriedly, but the stranger saw the whole thing.

"Transport." And with that, he appeared on top of one the trees and looked in the direction that Dusk had turned to. There was nothing unusual to see. "Oh no," the stranger thought.

"Shadow Pull!" Dusk shouted, and the tree the stranger was on top of suddenly came crashing to the ground. Dusk hurried away, not even staying to see if the stranger survived.

xxxxx

"Whoa, whoa," the child interrupted. "Shadow Pull? What exactly does it do?"

"Good question. The Shadow Pull ability pulls an object's or dinosaur's highest point down towards its, his, or her shadow. The power is also dependent on the user's strength. One cannot yank something with a Shadow Pull that he or she couldn't pull down with bare hands."

"Wow, neat," came the boy's impressed remark. "Okay, that was all I wanted to ask. Continue. Uh, please."

xxxxx

Chomper was still getting farther away from Dusk and the stranger who had chased him.

"Please let Dusk be alright," he kept saying to himself. Then he screeched to a halt. "Wait a minute! I can't leave Dusk back there all alone! He's my friend and that mean whatever-he-was might hurt him." He clenched his fists. "I'm a Sharptooth, so I can't run away when there's danger." He turned around and ran back the way he came at full speed, despite his exhaustion from already running for so long. "Don't worry, Dusk. I'm coming."

xxxxx

"I haven't seen you for some time. Are you going to stay for a while again?" Littlefoot asked the female.

"I know, and hopefully not," she replied. "We're just here on business."

"Oh, your friend is around too?" Ducky asked her.

"Well, he isn't my-"

"Guys! We don't have time to be talking because we don't have any time. We have to find Chomper before something bad happens to him," Ruby exclaimed.

"Take a deep breath, Ruby. Everything's going to be fine," the female assured her.

"What do you mean! Chomper's out there all alone and- wait, how do you know my name?" Ruby asked her.

"I do have ears, you know," she replied flatly. "It's not like your friends never call you by it."

"Hey, have you been spying on us again?" Cera asked her angrily.

"Trust me; you'll be thankful for that later. As for now, let's go meet up with Chomper and my 'friend,'" she told them.

"You know where he is?" Tell me!" Ruby demanded.

"Sorry, but requests go both ways. You didn't take a deep breath when I asked you, so I have no obligation to respond to your question. Just follow me and everything will be fine."

"Excuse us for just a moment, please," Littlefoot said, and the gang huddled up a short distance away.

"I don't trust her," Cera said.

"Yes, and she certainly doesn't seem very nice at all," Ruby added.

"I say we go with her," Littlefoot said. "Chomper could be anywhere, and if she knows where he's at, it makes more sense to follow her than wonder around."

"That's just it Littlefoot! She won't tell us if she knows, so we may end up wandering around anyway if we follow her," Cera pointed out.

"Guys, we're wasting time. If we don't go with her, we'll be lost for sure. If we do, we have a chance." Littlefoot paused. "You know what? Whether you guys come or not, I'm going. Sometimes you just have to take a chance when it comes along." With that, he left the circle, and walked back to her. "Let's go."

"Just like before, you always did seem to have a sharper mind. Alright. Come with me." And with that, they began to walk off.

"Wait!" Ruby called. "Chomper is worth taking any chance when it comes along," she said, smiling at Littlefoot.

"No go without us!" Petrie called, as he came over as well, riding Spike along with Ducky.

The six of them turned to Cera. "Humph!" she exclaimed, and sat down facing the opposite direction. Littlefoot sighed, and they left without her. After about a minute, she slightly turned in their direction.

xxxxx

"This looks like the place. Yay!" Coaley exclaimed, as she and the others stood atop part of the wall surrounding the Great Valley.

"We didn't even need to retrace to Dusk's steps," Agu said. "Ceit easily found it from the air. I bet he wanted us to do it the hard way to be mean."

"Shut it!" the Long Neck ordered. "Lord Dusk is not perfect. I'm sure retracing his steps was the best idea he could come up with. With all that's going on, surely he can't think of everything."

"Ooh, someone has a temper," Agu provoked.

"You've not yet begun to see my temper!" she replied with a growl, bearing her teeth.

"That's quite enough you two. Stay focused on the mission," Menta ordered. "Ceit, you'd best get started. We're not going to find out much looking like this."

"Aye," he replied. The Sharpteeth gathered in a circle while the Long Neck stood back.

The land Sharpteeth were engulfed in black smoke. When the smoke lifted, they no longer looked like Sharpteeth.

"As for me," Ceit began.

The same dark smoke appeared around Ceit, and he emerged looking like a leaf-eating Flyer.

"Alrighty!" Coaley exclaimed. "Don't I just look so cute as a Long Neck?"

"Sure, Coaley. And excellent work, Ceit. Now, let's see if we can find where those children are," Menta instructed, and they all trudged down a narrow decline into the Great Valley.

xxxxx

"Hey, daddy. I have a question," the child interrupted.

"Sure, go right ahead," his father replied.

"So, this Ceit guy has the power to change a dinosaur into another kind?"

"Not exactly. He uses magic to make others seem different to the eye, but they are really still the same species. The neat thing is, the magic adapts to their bodies to remove the physical differences. Therefore, even though Sharpteeth stand on two legs, the illusion made it look like they were really walking on four legs. And that was a good question."

"Thanks. You can keep reading now. Err, please,"

"Alright," his father replied with a chuckle.

xxxxx

The group of "Long Necks" and the "Flyer" went through the valley slowly, taking in the sights.

"Hey guys, I think this place had a brain-washing power cast on it," Agu said. "We'd better not be here too long."

"What are you talking about?" the Long Neck asked. "You really need to stop being weird."

"No, I'm serious! Have you guys taken a close at the grown-ups here?" he asked the others.

They looked around, observing the adults in the valley very closely. "I'm sorry, Agu, but would you please explain yourself?" Menta finally asked him.

"Sure. From what I've seen here, the grown-ups have forgotten how to do everything besides eat. That's all they've been doing since we've arrived. 'Tis the work of black magic!" Then he burst out laughing at his joke.

"Agu…" Menta trailed off, while shaking her head.

"You little pest! You are so not funny!" the Long Neck shouted.

"What's with all the racket?" a gruff voice bellowed from behind them. All of them jumped besides air-born Ceit, who instead simply jerked. They turned around to see a very angry-looking, full-grown Three Horn.

"I should ask you the same question," Agu retorted. "You're ten times louder than all of us combi-"

Menta, who was standing directly beside Agu, quickly covered his mouth. "We are sorry for disturbing you ,sir. We will try to be more quiet."

"Humph! You'd better do more than just 'try.'" Looking right at Agu, he added, "And if I were you, I'd watch that mouth of yours, boy."

Agu tried to say something back, but Menta's grip was too firm. "Understood sir. We _will_ be more quiet," she told him.

"Good!" And with that, he tromped away.

Menta let go, and Agu made a very dramatic gasping noise.

"I wasn't holding you that tightly," Menta said flatly. "Anyway, if we're going to find out where those children are, we'd best not be stirring up trouble. Do you want them to drive us out? Even with powers, we would be overwhelmed if all the residents attacked us."

"I know that," he replied.

"Do you kids need any help?" another loud voice came from behind them.

This time, only Agu jumped. "Will you dinosaurs stop doing that!" He turned around to see an elderly Long Neck with a friendly expression.

"Heh heh. Sorry about that. I see that you've already met Mr. Three Horn."

"If you're talking about that obnoxious creature that yelled at us earlier, you have made an accurate observation," Agu replied curtly.

The Long Neck nudged him sharply. "Please excuse him," she said.

The old Long Neck chuckled again. "That's alright. So back to my question. Is there anything I can help you kids with?" he offered.

"Yeah, we're here to find The Sev-" Menta stepped on Agu's foot, causing him to stop talking as he clenched his teeth.

"Yes, some help would be nice, sir," Menta began. "Would you happen to know of a Long Neck named Littlefoot?" She had memorized the list of names that Dusk had given her, and had chosen a name at random to ask about. "You see, one of Littlefoot's friends had told one of our friends about him, who in turn told us. I must say, he certainly sounds like someone we'd like to meet," she said, being completely honest the whole time.

"Well now," the old Long Neck replied with a big grin, "I think I can be of some help with that. I'm sure he'd love some new playmates too."

"So you know him?" Menta asked.

"Why yes. Actually, I'm his grandfather," he answered.

"Excellent," she said, then closed her eyes and concentrated.

"I see," she thought.

"Well, what would you like to know about him?" he asked them.

"Thank you for the offer, sir, but that is quite alright. Since you're his grandfather, he must live here too. We explore a lot, so we'll just look around until we find him. Thanks again!" she called, and then she turned and walked off with the others following.

"She certainly is polite," Littlefoot's grandfather thought to himself. "She should get to know old Mr. Three Horn's daughter." He chuckled to himself, and then went back to his eating.

"That was a waste of time," Agu complained.

Menta sighed. "I have to admit, I was rather disappointed that his own grandfather doesn't know where he is. It turns out that he just lets his grandson roam about without supervision. Still, it wasn't a complete waste of time. At least I know what The Seven look like now."

"I don't get it. Why didn't you just read his mind right away?" Agu asked.

"I didn't want to waste any energy if he didn't know anything about them. We'll just have to span out and start looking. Gather around, everyone. This is what they look like," she said, after projecting the old Long Neck's mental image of the gang into their heads.

"Ooh, Chomper is a cutie," Coaley pointed out.

"It would seem that the group I saw a while back is indeed them," Ceit thought to himself.

"Alright guys, let's head out. We'll meet back at this waterfall in an hour, but feel free to contact me if any of you find them sooner," Menta told the group, and they split up to find the gang.

xxxxx

"How much longer till we find Chomper?" Ruby asked.

"I don't know," came the reply.

"Don't you know where he is?" Ruby questioned.

"In a way."

"How do you intend to find him?" Littlefoot asked her.

"I don't." The gang members stopped and looked at each other. "Relax. My partner went to find him and is going to meet me at a certain place. Don't stop now." She suddenly heard some noise, and then glanced up. "I take that back. You can stop now."

Now too far off in the distance, a familiar face was approaching. She waved him down, and he came over to the group and stopped, huffing loudly. He was clutching his left arm with his right, and she glared at him. "Well, where's Chomper?" She seemed completely uninterested in his injury.

"Dusk," was all he said in reply.

"Are you alright?" Littlefoot asked him. "What happened to your arm?"

"Don't worry," he replied. "I just- fell."

"You good-for-nothing, totally idiotic, complete failure of a partner! How do you let one guy make the best of you? And now of all times!" the female exclaimed.

"Are you quite finished? I did my best and could have easily been killed, and all you can do is insult me?"

"Perhaps if you weren't a fool, I wouldn't have anything to insult you for!"

"Are they always like this when they're together?" Ruby whispered to Littlefoot.

"I'm afraid so," he replied. "I haven't seen those two Rainbow Faces get along since I met them a while back, though I've never seen them this bad before."


	6. Chapter V

**Chapter V: Together Again**

In which Dusk completes his task.

"They're gone," Chomper said, having reached the place where Dusk had fought that Rainbow Face. "Dusk? Hello? Is anybody around?" he called out. Then he quickly covered his mouth. "What if that weird guy hears me?" he thought. "I just hope Dusk is okay."

A fair distance away, Dusk looked up to the sky and thought to himself, "I hope the kid's alright." He suddenly paused. "I wonder if…?" He suddenly turned around, and headed back the way he came at a brisk pace.

"Now what do I do?" Chomper wondered. "What if that guy comes back? I'd better get out of here. Err, but where am I?" His environment contained rocks, sinking sand, old logs, and a few bones scattered about. There were few trees, and the ground was rather hard. He didn't recognize the place at all. "Oh no, I was too busy running from that guy to pay attention to where I was going." Suddenly, he heard footsteps. "Oh no," he thought. "That guy's come back for me!" Looking around, he spotted a thick branch on the ground, picked it up, and hid behind a huge boulder.

The sound of the steps became louder, signifying that whoever it was, was coming closer. He tightened his grip on the stick and waited as the figure came closer and closer to where he was. His teeth began to chatter slightly, as he was very nervous. Then the figure walked right by where Chomper was standing. He raised the stick high and brought it down swiftly.

"Hey Chomp- ow!" Dusk yelled, clutching his head. "Ooh, that's gonna leave a mark. I know Sharpteeth like to fight, but did you have to hit me so hard?" Chomper immediately dropped the stick.

"Oh I'm so sorry! I didn't mean to! I thought you were somebody else! Are you okay? Did I hurt you really badly?" Chomper asked in a frenzy.

Dusk let out a hearty laugh, much to Chomper's surprise. "Relax, Chomper. I've got a hard head. I'm fine. It just stung a little. I was just kidding about it leaving a mark."

"Oh, thank goodness!" he said, very relieved. "So what happened back there? Where's that guy?"

"I got rid of him," Dusk replied. "You can relax now."

"Did you- eat him?"

"Nah. He got careless and had quite a fall so I just left. I wasn't hungry."

"Do you know why he was after me?" Chomper asked.

Dusk paused. He did know, but he also knew that this wasn't the time to explain it. "When you left, he didn't mention why he was chasing you." And Dusk wasn't lying.

"Wait, you can understood that guy? So you can understand leaf-eater?" Chomper asked in that language. Dusk and Chomper had only communicated through roaring since they had met, so he never thought that Dusk could do more.

Dusk roared "Yes" in reply.

"Ooh, say something in leaf-eater! I wanna hear how you sound when you aren't roaring," Chomper said.

Dusk paused. "I can understand what dinosaurs mean when they talk that way, but I don't know how to talk that way myself."

"Huh?"

"It's complicated," Dusk said. "I'll explain it some other time though. I think you should come with me. Things have gotten dangerous, so you might want to put your family visit on hold. It's all up to you though. What do you want to do?"

Chomper had only known Dusk a short time. Even so, he already looked up to him. He was kind and thoughtful, and he did save his life. Dusk had more than earned his trust.

"I'll go," he said.

Dusk raised a brow.

"Err, with you I mean," Chomper clarified.

Dusk's face brightened. "Alright then. Let's go buddy."

Chomper smiled at the sound of that nickname. The significance of the matter had finally sunk in. Finally, after all this time, he had managed to make friends- with a Sharptooth.

xxxxx

Agu and the Long Neck were the first to make it to the waterfall, and he looked extremely bored.

"Did you find anything?" she asked him.

He turned to her. "Look closely at my face. Now do I really need to answer that?"

"Good night, I was just asking!" she exclaimed.

Now Menta neared the waterfall. She didn't even need to see their faces to know what was happening. "Those two again?" She sighed. "I'll bet half of the valley can hear them." Arriving, she said, "That's enough you two."

"He started it!" the Long Neck replied.

"I believe that you were the first one to speak," Agu pointed out.

"But you were the one who was rude!"

"I said, that- is- enough," Menta repeated. They both stopped immediately. They dared not say another word when she used that tone.

Ceit flew down from the sky and landed beside them. "We seem to have all arrived- except Coaley."

xxxxx

"Aw, they're all such cuties!" a glossy-black "Long Neck" exclaimed as she watched a group of young Swimmers playing together.

"Well thank you," an older, female Swimmer told her after overhearing.

"Are all these yours?" Coaley asked.

"They sure are," the mother answered proudly.

"Wow, you sure have a lot of kids."

"Mm-hm. And two of them aren't even here right now," she added.

"An even bigger wow! That means you have even more than a lot of kids," Coaley said, matter-of-factly.

"Uh, sure dear," she replied.

"Coaley, where are you?" came a voice in her heard.

"Oh, I found the most adorable little Swimmers!" she answered aloud.

"Thank you," their mother said, thinking that Coaley was talking to her.

"Coaley, will you please just think? It's rather hard to hear you when you're talking."

"Oops," she thought to herself. "I was just adoring these adorable Swimmers."

"Uh, that's really nice Coaley. But haven't you been looking at the bright circle? It's been an hour."

"An hour?" she thought blankly.

"Yes, we were supposed to meet at the waterfall an hour after we split up. Don't you remember?"

"I sure do, thanks to you!" Coaley thought appreciatively and she giggled at the rhyme she'd made. "I'll be right over there." Turning back to the Swimmer, she said, "It was nice meeting you. And don't worry. I'd never eat anything that cute! Good-bye!" And with that, she walked off towards some bushes, while waving to a very confused-looking mother Swimmer.

She got behind the bushes and made sure that no one was watching. There was a small flash.

"Hey guys," Coaleysaid to the others at the waterfall.

"You made us wait," Agu complained.

"A few minutes isn't going to kill you," the Long Neck told him.

"It only takes a second to die," he replied with a smirk.

Menta stepped between them to stop things from escalating. "So did anyone find something worthwhile?"

Coaley's shot her arm up to be called on. "Ooh, ooh!" she exclaimed.

"Let me rephrase that. So did anybody find anything worthwhile besides some cute, little Swimmers?"

Coaley's arm fell. "Never mind," she said sadly.

Agu snickered. The Long Neck glared at him.

"From the air, I had a better chance of seeing them than you all, and I still came up with nothing. That, combined with the fact that you four spread out into different directions and saw neither heads nor tails of these children, causes me to believe that they are not presently in the Great Valley," Ceit explained.

"What a genius conclusion," Agu thought to himself. "A simple 'They aren't here' would have done just fine."

"I would think nicer thoughts if I were you," Menta said sternly.

"Urk," was all that came from his mouth.

Menta smiled. "And I didn't even need to read your mind."

"What!"

"I could tell just by looking at you that you were in thought, and it seems that I made an accurate guess as to the type of content."

Agu looked away as his face turned red.

"Back to business," Menta said. "Seeing as they aren't here, and knowing that they could be anywhere, we'd best find out what Dusk suggests we do." Concentrating, she thought, "My lord, can you hear me?"

"Yes, Menta, very clearly."

"I'm afraid I have ill news."

"Think no more. That can only mean that you didn't find them, and that's alright. We have time, and I'll think of something else. Do you have enough energy to track me?"

"I still have plenty, my lord."

"Excellent. Unfortunately though, I have to keep moving. I do not want to make Chomper suspicious by asking him to stop, and who knows? Maybe I'll bump into the others."

"Understood, my lord. I have tracked moving targets before, and I'll make sure we move briskly so we can catch up. Oh, and excellent work on the success of your part, my lord."

"Thank you."

"You're welcome," she thought. Turning to the others, she said, "He has met up with Chomper, and we're going to meet up with them."

"What is their location?" Ceit asked.

"They're on the move, so we'll have to move faster than usual to catch up with them." Menta closed her eyes and concentrated. "Let's not waste on time. Come on!" Menta ordered as she turned to leave, and the others followed.


	7. Chapter VI

**Chapter VI: The Lost Finds**

In which three groups become two.

"Please be quiet!" Ruby yelled at the top of her lungs. The Rainbow Faces stopped arguing__and turned to her. "I don't know if you find arguing helpful, but arguing won't help us find Chomper. And will you please tell me what 'Dusk' means? That's what you said," as she turned to the male, "when you asked about Chomper," she finished, turning to the female.

"Dusk is a Sharptooth," the male told her.

Ruby gasped. "Did he hurt Chomper? Take him away? What happened?" she asked frantically.

"Dusk would not hurt Chomper," the male said reassuringly, though he really didn't know for certain. "On the other hand, there is a chance he took him away."

"What should we do?" Ruby asked the Rainbow Faces desperately.

They looked at each other and said nothing, having no answer at that time.

xxxxx

"So, where are we going?" Chomper asked Dusk.

"Hopefully, we'll find your friends," he replied.

"Gee, thanks. That's really nice of you, but…"

"Hm?"

"Ruby doesn't want me around, remember? I don't want to live in the Great Valley if she doesn't like it. Also, it wouldn't be safe for you to come with me to them, because the grown-ups in the Great Valley don't like Sharpteeth in general. They accepted me because I'm not very big and Littlefoot and his friends already knew me. I know you, but I'm not sure if they'd listen to me about one of my own kind."

"Yes, they would mostly likely think you're biased. And I don't know this Ruby friend of yours to say one way or another, but you do have other friends there, remember? In any case, I do not believe that they are in the Great Valley."

"Huh?"

"I think they left there to come looking for you."

"You really think they did?"

"That's just what friends do. So about finding them- I was thinking that we'd do so out here."

"Dusk, can you hear me?"

"Yes, what is it, Menta?" Dusk thought.

"I checked your surrounding area, and there are eight dinosaurs just a short distance to the northeast of you."

"Did you take a break from tracking me?" he asked.

"Oh no, my lord. We are still approaching you."

"You fool! What have I told you about doing Mind Seek and Mind Scan at the same time!" he thought in anger.

"I-I'm sorry, my lord. I just wanted to make sure you were safe."

"While I appreciate that greatly, you know how bad it is for you to multitask that way. If you get hurt again on account of me…"

"Thank you for worrying about me so, but I feel fine. Besides, I don't care what happens to me as long as I can keep you safe."

"Menta…"

"Please don't worry anymore. I stopped the scan the moment I told you of its results. We'll see you soon."

"Alright. Good-bye."

"Dusk?" Chomper asked.

Dusk immediately came back to his senses and said, "Yes, Chomper? What is it?"

"Just seeing if you were okay. You seemed lost in thought."

"What a perceptive child," he thought. "Thank you for your concern, but I'm fine, really," he told him.

"Well, okay," Chomper replied, a bit unsure.

"We should change course a little."

"What does that mean?" Chomper asked.

"Sorry. What I meant was, we should be going a different way now. I really don't think there's anybody over this way. We've gone pretty far. Let's try looking elsewhere, okay?"

"Sure. Whatever you say," Chomper agreed.

"What a nice kid," Dusk thought to himself. With that, he turned and began walking northeast, Chomper at his heels.

xxxxx

Finally, the male Rainbow Face spoke. "We're just going to have to start searching for him." The female smacked his head. "Ow! What was that for!" he demanded.

"For wasting time. 'We're just going to have to start searching for him?' No duh!" she retorted.

"You're wasting our time right now!" he argued.

"Guys, please!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "Look, he's right. All we can do is keep looking for him. The sooner we start that and stop standing around here, the sooner we'll find Chomper. We'll never find him if we stay here."

"I do not agree. No, no, no," Ducky said. "Look!" And with that, she pointed into the distance.

The kids all smiled in relief. The Rainbow Faces tensed up.

Chomper was approaching, followed by a much bigger black Sharptooth.

"Dusk, look! We found them!" and Chomper raced over to his friends. Dusk, however, stopped moving.

The moment he had seen the kids, his heart sank. His mouth was slightly agape and his entire body trembled slightly. He could barely think straight. "Th-those children! They're the ones who-"


	8. Chapter VII

**Chapter VII: Planting the Seed**

In which Dusk makes a tactical decision.

"Oh Chomper, I'm so glad we found you!" Ruby said, giving him a hug. "I was so worried about you."

"But, you said you didn't like me. That's why I left," he explained, still in her embrace.

"What? I never said that because I would never say that," she replied, confused.

"You said that you wish you hadn't agreed to look after me. I heard you."

Ruby paused to recall, and then laughed, much to Chomper's surprise. "You heard what I said, but you didn't hear everything I said. Afterwards, I said that I didn't like agreeing to that because you deserve the best care, and I don't think I can give you the best. You should have asked me about this before running away."

Chomper hugged her all the more tightly. "I'm so sorry Ruby. And you're wrong."

"Huh?"

"You've given me only the best, and I thank you so much."

"Me hate to break up touching moment, but who that?" Petrie asked Chomper fearfully, motioning toward Dusk.

"Don't be afraid, Petrie. He's my new friend Dusk. He wouldn't hurt us."

"Don't believe I word he's told you!" the female Rainbow Face exclaimed.

Chomper turned, finally noticing the Rainbow Faces. "You!" he exclaimed, pointing at the male.

"Relax. I told you before that I'm not going to hurt you."

"Yeah, you wouldn't dare with Dusk here!"

The male sighed.

Dusk had snapped out of it, and came over to the group. "Is there a problem?" he roared gently to Chomper.

"I'm okay, thanks," he replied.

"Hey!" Littlefoot exclaimed to Dusk. "I understood you, but you spoke Sharpooth. How is that possible?"

"Like the two of us, he is free from the communication barrier," the male Rainbow Face explained.

"What does that mean?" Ruby asked.

"I'll explain that another time," he replied. Turning to Dusk, he asked, "So how do you intend to recruit them? Are you going to take them by force?"

Dusk looked confused. "I beg your pardon?"

"Don't give us that! You want them as badly as we do," the female insisted.

Dusk turned his head and said nothing.

"See? You won't even deny it!" she continued.

"It's not that," Dusk told her while sniffing the air. "We're being watched."

"One of your tricks, no less," she said.

Dusk sighed and rolled his eyes. He stooped down, picked up a small stone, and tossed it into a nearby bush.

"Ow!" came a cry. The voice was undeniable.

"Cera?" Littlefoot asked.

She came out from behind the bush with a mix of anger and embarrassment, and she was rubbing her face with her front foot.

"Were you spying on us?" he continued.

As an indirect answer to his question, she turned to the female Rainbow Face and asked, "So how do you like it?"

"I really don't care," she replied dully.

"Rrrgh."

"I want to ask something," Littlefoot began. "What do you three want us for?"

"Do you need help with something?" Ducky asked.

"You could say that," the female replied.

"Will you all quit being so mysterious!" Cera demanded. "It's getting really annoying. What exactly is going on here?"

"This world is in danger. We need you kids' help to save it," the male Rainbow Face said.

"Very funny," Cera said. "What do you really want?"

The male leaned closer to the female. "I told you that this wouldn't be easy."

Cera scoffed. "Even if there was trouble, what could we kids do about it?" Looking at Dusk, she asked, "And what's your story?"

Dusk's eyes narrowed, but it was too slight for anyone to notice. "Those two speak the truth," was his reply.

The Rainbow Faces were dumbfounded. "What is he up to?" the male thought to himself.

"Trouble is indeed brewing. You all, of course, have the choice to help or not. I'm certainly not going to force you to. Still, if you kids are willing help out, I must admit that I would certainly appreciate your help."

"So that's it," the male thought. "That's enough of your mind games, Dusk!"

Dusk raised a brow.

"Stop acting like you only want what they do! Your shrewd tongue may fool them, but not us!" the male shouted. "You are going to do whatever it takes to walk away with this children alongside you."

Dusk lowered his head. "I have voiced my feelings on this matter. The time for discussion- has now reached its end."

Both of the Rainbow Faces tensed their bodies. They were going to fend off Dusk at all costs.

"Well kids, you just do what you think is right." And with that, Dusk turned around and began to walk away.

"Where are you going!" the male Rainbow Face called. He and the female were certain that Dusk was going to attack.

"As I said," Dusk began as he continued moving, "I've already voiced my feelings. The choice of what to do from here is up to them."

"Dusk, wait!" Chomper called. "I don't want you to go!"

Dusk turned his head and said, "Don't worry, Chomper. We will meet again." And with that, Dusk soon vanished from their sight.

"There," he thought. "The seed of trust has been planted, and it will grow."


	9. Chapter VIII

**Chapter VIII: Conversation's End**

In which the gang reaches a decision.

Dusk sighed. "I've been sitting in the same place a long time. Why is she taking so long to find me?" he thought. "Hmmm." He suddenly had a thought.

Dusk pointed his hand upward, and a large cloud overhead slowly began descending to his location. He continued to wait where he was, and after a few minutes, Ceit landed in front of him.

"Ma lord," he said with a bow.

"Don't worry about pleasantries_**. **_Just guide me to the others. I suppose Menta ran out of energy?"

"Err…" he trailed off.

"Ceit? Is, something wrong?"

"I will guide you to the others right away, ma lord," and with that, he started to take flight. However, Dusk jumped up and grabbed his foot, preventing him from leaving.

"I asked you, is something wrong? Is Menta alright? Answer me!"

"Well ma lord, you see, uh, what happened was-" he was cut off by the deathly glare in Dusk's eyes. "She lost consciousness," he said straight out.

"Were you guys attacked?" he asked in a chillingly-cold voice while keeping his hold on Ceit.

"N-no, she passed out from the strain of using two powers at the same-"

Dusk let go of Ceit while his eyes blazed like a raging fire. The roar that followed from his throat shook the nearby trees and caused a small tremor. "Go," he said in a deathly tone. "And you'd best fly quickly."

"Y-yes, ma lord," and Ceit quickly took to the skies, then set a pace to allow Dusk to keep up.

xxxxx

"So let me get this straight," Cera began. "There is a rock from where you guys live and someone is trying to steal it and you believe the seven of us are the only ones who can stop this guy?"

"Yeah, that uh, that pretty much sums it up," the male answered.

"I don't know if we can, but what makes you think we can?" Ruby asked.

"Well now, that would be telling, wouldn't it?" the female responded.

"If you two need help, we have the right to know why you chose us first," Littlefoot declared. "Why not ask grow-ups? The can do a lot of things we can't."

The female let out a sigh. "This conversation is getting tedious." She looked at Littlefoot and said, "You saw when that herd of Yellow Bellies needed help, and you did not hesitate to do what you could, not knowing what would be in store for you along the way. You listened to wisdoms, and trusted your instincts. You just couldn't stand to see those in need and do nothing about it. Have you changed since then?"

"How did you know about-?"

"Well have you?" she interrupted him.

"No, I haven't." He paused, and there was a brief silence throughout the whole group. Finally, he said, "I'll go with you. Tell me what I can do to help."

"I'm afraid you can't help," the female told him.

"But you just said-"

"I said we need the help of all seven of you. Come alone, and you will be of no benefit."

Littlefoot turned to his friends. "Well, guys?"

xxxxx

Two Sharpteeth and a Long Neck sat together, their backs to a rock. One of the Sharpteeth was leaning against it, unconscious.

"I think I like her better when she's quiet," Agu said.

"That's funny," the Long Neck replied, "Because I was just thinking the same about you."

"Nice come-back, but it doesn't work since I'm not a 'her.'"

"You aren't?"

"You're asking for it!"

Ceit landed beside them as Dusk ran up to Menta. He knelt beside her with a look of utmost concern, as her breathing was irregular.

"Did any of you know she was multitasking with her powers?" he asked quietly, though his tone did not hide his rage.

The other three looked at each other.

Flash Back

"Slow down," Menta told the others.

"What for?" Agu asked.

"I'm going to make sure Dusk's location is safe for him, and the slower we go, the better I can do it."

"You aren't attempting to multitask with your powers, are you?" Ceit asked_. _"Doing so causes a tremendous strain. Don't you remember what happened last time?"

"As long as Dusk is safe, nothing else matters."

"You do realize what Dusk might do to us if we let you do this again," Ceit warned.

"If you all tell him you knew nothing of this, I will backup your words. Now please, no more talking. I need to concentrate."

End of Flash Back

"We had no idea she was attempting such a thing, ma lord. Had I but known, I would not have allowed it," Ceit told Dusk.

Agu said, "Yeah," and the Long Neck said, "It's true," at the same time. Dusk looked at them suspiciously, but knew he could just ask Menta about it when she came to.

xxxxx

"I think we should all help out with this. But, I'm not so sure we should be going with them," Chomper stated, looking in the direction of the Rainbow Faces as he finished speaking.

"What do you mean, Chomper?" Littlefoot asked. "Who else is there to- Wait, you want to go with Dusk!"

"Well, yeah. These guys keep asking us to go with them and do what they want. Dusk only wants what we do. I trust him a lot more than these two."

"This has to be the longest conversation I have ever had, and I'm completely sick of it. It's time for action. You want to go with Dusk? Go right ahead. But Dusk is gone for now. If you want to meet up with him again, you'll have to come with us first. End of story. No more talking. My ears are about to fall off. You have ten seconds to answer before we leave. You guys coming or aren't you?" the female asked in exasperation and impatience.

The gang looked at each other, Spike let out a tired moan, and Littlefoot started to speak.

"Ten."

"We should tell our-"

"Nine."

"They'll worry if-"

"Eight."

"How far is-?"

"Seven."

"Alright we're going!" Cera yelled.

"Good," she answered. "Let's go then."

"But like I was trying to say, we should tell our folks. If it's really far, we'd be gone a while and they'd worry," Littlefoot finally managed to say.

"Don't worry," the male Rainbow face said. "You've left the valley many times without telling them. They should be used to it by now"

"I guess," Littlefoot replied.

"And," the male continued, "since we'll be a group, best to stop using pronouns to refer to us."

"Using what?" Littlefoot asked.

"Never mind. My name is Rey; hers is Reina. Use them," the male Rainbow Face instructed. "So, are we all ready to go?"

"Yes," Littlefoot answered.

"Good," he said. "Now everyone gather around."

The gang couldn't imagine what for and glanced at each other, but got closer to them as told. Rey went around, putting his hand on each of their heads momentarily.

At that moment, both the Rainbow Faces and the gang, were no longer there.

xxxxx

Dusk's ears perked up. He looked down at the still-unconscious, white Sharptooth. Looking up, he told the others, "We'll let her rest back at the mountain. Th**er**e is nothing more to do here."

"Left with those two, did they?" Ceit inquired.

"They did," he answered. "The sound of their power is unmistakable, and I don't believe they'd go without them." He turned to the youngest member. "Coaley?"

"Awww. Already?" she whined. Dusk nodded. She hung her head in disappointment.

The Long Neck walked over to her. "Don't be sad. You can come back and see those Swimmers again when the mission is over, 'kay?"

"Yes!" she exclaimed with much enthusiasm as her face brightened.

Ceit's eyes narrowed as he focused and the altered group members suddenly looked like Sharpteeth again.

"Here we go, guys!" Coaley shouted. And in flash, they were gone.


	10. Chapter IX

**Chapter IX: The Thief and the Stone**

In which the past comes to light.

Nine dinosaurs appeared atop a tall mountain.

"Wh-what's going on?" Cera stammered. "How did we get up here?"

"You worry too much about the how's and why's when what's done is done. We are here, so let's discuss our situation and move forward," Reina told them.

"Hmph! Do you know anything but rudeness?" Cera demanded.

"Living with that father of yours, you should be quite used to it," Reina replied.

"Ooh!" Cera squealed before starting to charge, but Littlefoot stepped in front of her.

"Okay, we're here," Littlefoot said, "So please tell us what we need to do to help."

Rey cleared his throat. "This is about the Stone of Cold Fire."

"Huh?" Petrie interrupted. "Me thought that all made up."

"Oh yes. When Pterano tried using it, it did not work for him, nope nope nope," Ducky added.

"The reason it did not work for him, is because that was not the stone. It was just a rock I had sent to this planet to help me find the real thing," Rey explained.

"What do you mean, 'this planet,' and how could you send a flying rock?" Littlefoot asked.

"It's a long story. I will start at the beginning. Everyone should take a seat," Rey instructed.

"How can we take anything when there's nothing here to take?" Ruby asked.

"He meant 'sit down'. I don't see how the creatures of this planet survived as long as it has with such limited intelligence."

"Hey!" Cera shouted.

Rey sighed, then sat down to set an example for the group. Littlefoot followed suit, then the rest of them sat down together.

"My kind lives peacefully on another world. This planet you call home is not the only one with life. Someone found a strange stone, and after picking it up, received great power. He shared it with many others, giving anyone a gift as well. Eventually, some of our wisest researchers learned how to adjust the stone's energy output to various ends, one being to have its energy flow so folks didn't have to touch it to receive it's power. We thrived using the energy of the stone, as it gave us all great power, the ability to do things your kind can only dream of. The stone's power was used equally for us all, until one day, a rather selfish 'Rainbow Face' (as you call us) decided to flee with the stone to this world. We believe he wanted to wait until the rest of us ran out of power then return to take over."

xxxxx

"Unh, ugh," Menta moaned, as she slowly opened her eyes. A wet leaf covered her forehead, and she was sprawled out on a nest of dry ones. Though her head still throbbed slightly, she was more concerned about Dusk's reaction.

"Um," a voice said. Menta jumped slightly, and the voice continued, "Sorry Menta, it's just me," the Long Neck told her. "Dusk asked me to keep an eye on you and tell him when you awoke, but uh, I can wait a while if you'd like."

Menta smiled. "Thank you. Though I typically like to get things over with, I would like more time to collect myself before the lecture of my life."

The Long Neck chuckled slightly. "I understand. Are you alright though?"

"I'm fine, really. If I wasn't already tired from the journey, I wouldn't have ended up like this. Nothing happened to Dusk, right?"

"Perfectly safe."

"And that's all that matters."

"Alright, you just get some more rest and I'll stay here to if you need anything. Besides, Dusk will figure out you're awake when I leave."

"Oh, I think I'll figure it out before that," Dusk said, standing right behind the Long Neck.

xxxxx

"One day, he came into the stone's holding area and stole it. He chose his timing well. Some of our kind had been working on a method to visit other worlds. It was a very complicated procedure, but an opening was created in the end. Though it was believed that it would take anyone to another world inhabited with life, it wasn't certain just where this world would be. The thief grabbed the stone and ran through the opening, and ended up in this world. It wasn't hard to figure out what happened with several bits of evidence that was collected, and some of us went through as well to catch him and get the stone back."

"So there's a whole other world out there filled with dinosaurs just like us?" Chomper asked.

"Not quite," Rey answered. "We have no diversity. Using your reference of us, there are only 'Rainbow Faces' where we come from. This world has a few of them here and there, but they are originally from our world. This one had none before some of our inhabitants decided that they wanted to observe the dinosaurs of elsewhere. Anyway, some of us came here to find the thief and the item he stole, and find him we did. He was cautious, believing we might come after him, so he hid the stone.

A group of three went to bring them back. It took a while, but they finally tracked him down. He kept on the move, but justice cannot be escaped from. When they found him, he was already being attacked by others. A giant of a beast along with his two followers. The power that the stone granted him allowed him to wield fire, and he fought hard. He slashed the giant with a blazing whip, burning his flesh from his eye all the way down his arm. Unfortunately, that only enraged the giant further, and thief was caught then devoured. The ones we had sent waited too long to intervene, and as a result, we had no easy way to find where the stone hidden."

"A burn from his eye down his arm?" Ruby pondered. "Could he be talking about-?"

"We brought them back, and eventually created a way to find the stone's general location. We infused a large rock with some of the stone's power that was left in our world, and sent it hurdling through space. We had reason to believe the empowered stone would move toward the source of its energy, like an attraction. With the speed it flew at, we theorized it wouldn't be able turn enough to land at the Stone of Cold Fire's exact location, but its general area. It landed on this mountain."

"Wait," Littlefoot interrupted. "That stone that Pterano chased after and we all found- was that the stone you all sent?"

"I say again, you have a sharp mind, Littlefoot," Rey told him. "What we said to the adults of the valley was true. However, we chose our wording carefully, making them think we referring to the rock you saw fall. We said, 'What if this was no ordinary flying rock?' What if it was, for example, a Stone of Cold Fire?'. We never said we actually thought that rock was one. 'What if's' can be applied to anything. If I said, 'What if it rains today?' that doesn't mean I actually thought it would."

"If I had to guess, I'd guess this happened before Chomper and I moved here?" Ruby asked.

"Yes," Littlefoot replied. "I can tell you all about it later."

"Okay, thank you."

"As I was saying," Rey continued, "We told everyone about the real stone's power in hopes of getting help in our search. We thought that, maybe, if some went looking for the rock Littlefoot had seen, they would find the real one. We thought it was a stroke of luck that Littlefoot had seen it and told the others, but the actual stone was never discovered. When all had been said and done, it was time Reina and I reported back, so we returned to our world. We've made many trips to continue our search, but they were to no avail."

"Perhaps if you didn't keep insisting on seeing what these children were up to," Reina added a sigh.

"You'd been spying on us?" Cera asked angrily.

"Observing, is the term I'd prefer. You kids, especially Littlefoot, have shown a broader mindset than any others we've come to see on this planet, so I've developed an interest in your activities and adventures."

Be it spying or "observing," all the children felt a bit uncomfortable that they had been watched on many occasions, and they shifted around uneasily.

Finally, Chomper broke the silence. "So, I'm guessing you want our help finding the stone?"

"You are correct," Rey told him.

"The magic left in our world is dwindling. We have come to rely so heavily on it, if it leaves completely, things will not go well."

"Hey, I thought you said it was our world that was in danger," Cera pointed out. "Or did you just say that so we'd help?"

"Many, many years ago, a 'Rainbow Face' had a vision that a world would be in peril- yours. A group of dinosaurs of this world would gain control of the stone and attempt to use it. The stone has the ability to grant one wish, though while the details aren't important, it isn't easy to do. He foresaw that without the aid of a group of seven dinosaurs, each different and living in one place, a wish will be granted that would mean trouble for this world. His dream was passed down over the generations, and I believe those seven our the children who stand before us."

The children grew silent at the dire prospect Rey was presenting. Finally, Cera spoke up.

"Even if we are, you make it sound like some big adventure, but all we have to do is find the stone, right? It may take a while, but it doesn't sound very difficult."

"Oh, but it is. You see, there are others seeking the stone," Rey explained.

"You mean uncle Pterano still looking?" Petrie asked.

"No. We've kept an eye on him here and there, and he truly believes the stone does not exist. The group seeking the stone is lead by someone you've all met- the Sharptooth called Dusk."

Chomper gasped.


	11. Chapter X

**Chapter X: The Winds of Change**

In which the gang of seven becomes more.

"My lord! I- I didn't know you were standing there," the Long Neck stammered.

Dusk chuckled. "It's alright, dear. You were trying to help Menta, and for that, you have my thanks. Now, if you don't mind, I'd like a few words with her."

She bowed courteously and left them alone. Menta sat upright.

Dusk knelt to eye level with Menta and spoke softly. "Menta, if I told you once, I've told you a thousand times: take it easy with your power. Your concern for my welfare is more like an obsession. By putting yourself in harm's way, you only make me worry more. Since you want what is best for me, please stop making me worry. Understand?"

"Yes, my lord."

Dusk sighed. "You say that and in the exact same tone every time I explain all this." He got to his feet. "Get some more rest. When you have recovered, join the rest of us in the meeting room, alright?"

"Of course, my lord." As Dusk left her, Menta let out a heavy sigh and plopped onto her back. "I'd rather risk you worrying than risk you dead."

"Don't look so surprised," Rey told Chomper. "Did you think his friendliness toward you was just a typical circumstance? He came to know of the prophecy, surely from that psychic friend of his, and he was just trying to get at least one of you on his side to keep The Seven from stopping him."

"You're lying!" Chomper exclaimed.

"Is he?" Reina asked. "Dusk is highly intelligent. He knows how to get what he wants- all made possible by pretending he wants what others do. He wears down minds, focusing on several factors, and in the end, the dinosaur is mere mud in his hands, able to be shaped as Dusk sees fit. Did he do anything nice for you when you two first met?"

"He saved me life," Chomper said in an angry tone.

"There, you see?" Reina continued. "He did something nice for you, putting you in a state of feeling obligated towards him."

"I don't know what that means, but Dusk helped me get back to the others, so he wasn't trying to keep me separated," Chomper said.

"More mind games!" Reina exclaimed. "He knows he has several chances to get you away, so he gave up that one so you would be less suspicious in the future. When you've been around, you learn how to read dinosaurs."

"I don't believe Dusk would do anything like that. If finding this stone and saving your world will take all seven of us, and Dusk wanted to make sure I didn't help you guys, why did he save my life? He would have had nothing more to worry about if he'd have let me die," Chomper explained defiantly.

Rey put his hand on his chin in thought. Chomper had a point there. If Dusk truly wanted the prophecy to fail, why didn't he let Chomper die when the chance came? Perhaps Dusk isn't as easy to read as Reina thinks.

"Besides, how do you know Dusk is the one who wants to make this terrible wish? Maybe there is another you don't know about."

"In the vision, he saw a day after the 'bright circle' had gone down, but before the sky had grown dark."

"So what?" Cera asked.

"The time in a day when the 'bright circle' is down but night has not yet taken over is called 'dusk,'" Rey explained. Now it was Chomper's turn to be speechless.

"Think what you will," was all Reina could think of to add. Then she paused. Turning to Rey, she asked, "Is it almost time?"

"Eh, we're getting there," he replied. "Although, the children are much younger, so the changes will likely take place sooner than it would for one of us. The more developed a mind is, the longer the energy takes to get through."

"Changes?" Ruby asked. "What kind of changes will the changes bring?"

"The stone radiates energy in a fair vicinity, and to those who soak it up long enough, power is given. You've all seen the power we have. It is called 'Transport.' We can disappear, then reappear any place that we can see from where we currently are. We can also bring with us anything that we have touched. Didn't you all ever wonder how I got that big pile of green food into that cave for you? However, touching something lets us Transport it one time. If we want to move it again, we have to touch it once more."

"So that's why you tapped all of us before we appeared here!" Littlefoot said.

"Correct," Rey answered. "Anyway, soon you all will have power of your own."

"You mean, we get to move around like you do?" Petrie asked.

"Very doubtful," he answered. "The power you get reflects your lifestyle. Her and I love to be on the move, and as a result, our power lets us move around with great ease. Also, your outer body will change color depending on what power you get, although the new coloration can only be seen by others with a power."

"Ooh, that sounds exciting, it does, it does," Ducky said excitedly.

"When we get the power, how do we know what to do with it?" Ruby wanted to know.

"Ah, good question. The power binds to you, becoming a natural part of what makes you, well, you. Nobody had to teach you how to breathe when you were born. Using the power will come to you as easily as when you took your first breath of fresh air. Now, I suggest we all relax here until it happens. The changes will be very strenuous on your bodies, so best get some rest."

The nine dinosaurs all sat down as comfortably as they could. The winds began to pick up, warm and pleasant on the cool day. A few minutes went by.

"This is so boring!" Cera growled. "Are you sure something is going to happen?"

"No," Reina answered. "This is all based off some random guess, and for all we know, nothing may happen at all."

The children turned to her, and she could barely suppress smiling at her sarcasm.

"Why you-"

"Cera, just calm down. Save your strength," Littlefoot reasoned.

"Ooh! If I have to listen to her one more time, I-" but she stopped as she began to feel dizzy.

"It has begun," Rey announced.

All the children except Littlefoot hung their head and their bodies began to glow. There came a bright flash from the six of them, then the light faded. Save Littlefoot, the children's bodies were now each of a different color. Ducky was blue, Petrie purple, Ruby grey, Chomper brown, Spike dark grey, and Cera dark green.

"You have all become more than you were. You will need these powers to be triumphant in this quest," Rey declared.

"Why do you keep making this out to be a big deal?" Cera asked. "We have to find the stone before Dusk's group does. If they wanna play rough, I'll show 'em a thing or two."

The Rainbow Faces sighed at her constant underestimating of the situation.

"I don't understand," Littlefoot said. "Why did they change colors, and why didn't I?"

"Your friends have been given great power, and their bodies adapted in the process. Their new colors reflect the type of power they've gained. As to why you have not, I must say, I too am at a loss," Rey told him, scratching his head. "For some reason, the power is taking longer to take effect on you."

"In the mean time, let's begin your training. You may know what your power is, but that doesn't make you adapt at using it. I will be right back," Reina told them.

Minutes later, she returned. "Up to this point, nearly all you've done against these is run. Now you have the power to fight. If you think you're capable of accomplishing this mission- I really don't care. What I want to see, is proof. Transport!"

Before the group appeared a full-grown Sharptooth, sound asleep. The children gasped.

"Err, don't you think this is a bit much for their first go at it?" Rey whispered.

"We won't see anything unless the stakes are high," she replied. "Now then!" she called out, "Make this Sharptooth run from you, and I'll know if you're all really up to this. When you gain power, you automatically know how it works. Let's see how you use that knowledge."

She bent over, picked up a small rock, and flung it at the Sharptooth. He awoke slowly, drowsily opening his eyes and getting to his feet. His eyes jerked widely however, when the meat before him came into view.

Ducky quickly looked around for water, and Cera did for plants. Petrie flew up, shaking, and flapped his wings hard. Gusts of wind blasted from them, but the Sharptooth was too big to be knocked over from them. He was forced back only slightly and batted his claws in front of his face, and Petrie flew out of reach. Spike ran up to the Sharptooth and bit his foot. It didn't hurt much, but he lifted his great leg and brought it down hard on Spike's small body.

"Spike!" Ducky screamed.

The Sharptooth screamed too, bit his shriek was in pain. He lifted his foot to reveal blood, but it wasn't Spike's. Spike's body had become very hard, harder than stone, and the spikes on his tail had punctured the Sharptooth's foot.

Cera spotted a tree and concentrated. Its roots sprung out of the ground and covered the Sharptooth's feet, but he broke out of them with ease. "No, it didn't work…"

"There is no water here. What can I do?" Ducky thought frantically. Then she looked at that tree and remembered one of Mr. Thicknose's lessons, how plants soak up water to survive. She lifted up her hands and water broke free from the tree and she flung it into the Sharptooth's eyes.

He staggered around, moving closer to the ledge, but he began to regain his balance. Ruby quickly ran up to him, flung her arms toward him, and gusts of wind rammed into him, knocking him closer to the ledge. Chomper lifted a medium-sized boulder and flung it behind the Sharptooth. The Sharptooth stepped back, lost his footing on the boulder, then Petrie added gusts of his own to Ruby's which sent him falling down the cliff.

Littlefoot watched all of this in amazement.

Rey and Reina clapped their hands together. "Well done," he said. "You used your newfound powers in conjunction with a sudden situation quite impressively."

None of the children understood that, but they figured that it was a compliment.

"As for you," Rey said, turning to Littlefoot, who was still unchanged, "I am most perplexed…"


	12. Chapter XI

**Chapter XI: Littlefoot's Time to Shine**

In which the delay is understood, and Littlefoot gains more than he bargained for.

A Flying Sharptooth neared the area the children were at, then stopped short. His eyes widened when he saw them.

"Lord Dusk will be unpleased," he thought to himself. He circled around to avoid their line of sight, then swooped down into the cave that the others were sitting inside.

"Welcome back, Ceit," Dusk greeted him. "Anything to report?"

"Well, erm, I-"

"Spit it out."

"They brought the children to this mountain, and the kids have gained the power as a result, ma lord," he said nervously. They had failed to recruit the children, and now they had the power to pose a threat.

"Thank you for letting me know," Dusk replied.

Ceit flinched, but then opened at his eyes at the gentle remark. "You're- not angry?"

"Come now, I am not some raging beast that goes into a rampage at every report that isn't bright circle light and sky colors," he said with a grin.

"Of- of course not! I wasn't suggesting- Far be it from me to-"

"Relax, Ceit. Always so uptight. In any case, I knew this would happen. I did not have you go searching in hopes we could stop it. I just wanted to know when it had taken place."

"Would you like me to keep an eye on them, ma lord?" Ceit asked, growing in comfort.

"Yes. Your 'masterpiece-' can you make it again?" Dusk inquired.

"As surely as I stand before you. I will get to work right away."

"Excellent."

xxxxx

"Do you think something's wrong with me?" Littlefoot asked.

"Doesn't matter if there was," Reina replied. "The power comes to anyone, even if they have tons of problems. After all, it worked on Cera, didn't it?" She laughed at her own joke. A small shrub leapt from the ground and whacked in the face.

"Serves you right," Rey said, beginning to laugh as well. Now that Cera had power too, their fights were going to get a lot more interesting.

Littlefoot groaned, and everyone turned to him. He looked drowsy, like the others had earlier, but his body did not change. The others continued to watch him, then he shook his head abruptly, and plopped onto the ground.

"Littlefoot, are you okay?" Ducky asked him.

He stood up, and he had a stern look in his eyes. "I've never felt better in my life."

"Oh my, does that mean you've gained the power as well?" Rey asked quickly.

"Yes. Although, there are two powers swirling inside me."

"Two?" Reina questioned. "That's unheard of. We all get a power to match our personality, our lifestyle. We don't live two different kinds of lives."

"Perhaps…" Rey said. "But maybe…" Everyone turned to him. "Cera, when you're angry, you show your anger, right?"

"Duh."

"And Petrie, when you're afraid, you don't hide it one bit, do you?"

"Well- no," he answered, blushing.

"Most dinosaurs act as they feel. Their actions are true reflections of what's inside. Some, however, keep a lot of how they feel and think to themselves, and show a completely different aspect through their actions," Rey explained.

"You mean like, someone being angry yet acting happy?" Ruby asked.

"To put it simply, yes. It's having two sides of one's self, often feeling one way, but letting out another. I suppose a lot of dinosaurs have done that on occasion, but there are those whose lives practically revolve around such a thing. If Littlefoot has been keeping a lot to himself, and living his life contrary to his feelings, it's possible he's gained two powers, one for each side of him, and that would also explain why it took so much longer; gaining two powers is naturally slower than gaining one."

"Well Littlefoot?" Cera asked him, "What can your powers do?"

"It's hard to explain. It's like daytime and night, and I can only use one kind at a time. If I call out to one, I take on its abilities."

"How about a demonstration?" Reina asked.

"Okay, here goes! Light, shine within my heart!" he called out. There was a brilliant flash of light, and the others had to shield their eyes. When they opened them, they saw Littlefoot, skin white, glowing like the bright circle.

"Wow!" Chomper exclaimed.

"How do you feel?" Ruby asked him.

"The light divine is most wondrous, my dear. May it give me the strength to protect us from our foes, and lead them down a path of righteousness," he told them.

"Uh, Littlefoot?" Cera asked slowly. Turning to the Rainbow Faces, she asked, "What's wrong with him?"

"I believe nothing," Rey answered, hand on his chin. "My guess is that by changing into this light form, his personality has become like light itself. He's still Littlefoot, but his mannerisms are being influenced by the energy."

"Your theory speaks well of you, good sir. Thou art correct, and may thy wisdom continue to guide us all."

"I hope I can get to used this," Cera thought to herself, already slightly disturbed at Littlefoot's behavior.

"Would you please show us a demonstration of what you're capable of?" Rey asked.

"Power is not granted to wield for show, but to emerge when comes the direst of cirsumstances. However, being as your request was most courteously presented, I yield to it." He turned to Petrie. "Dear friend, wouldst thou kindly begin a rock slide upon us?"

"You- you want me to put us in danger?" he asked incredulously.

"Nay," Littlefoot responded. "For whilest I stand before thee, no harm shall befall us."

"O-okay." And with that, he flew up to a higher ledge of the mountain, and he flapped his wings hard, emitted strong gusts of wind. It knocked down a rock which hit more on the way down, resulting in a large avalanche of rocks. They were nearly upon the dinosaurs below.

"Intervention!" Littlefoot shouted, and the group was surrounded by a force of light, and the stones bounced off of it harmlessly.

"Incredible," Rey thought to himself. "I understand you wield yet another power. I think it best that I know all the strengths of this group to help operate it effectively."

"Very well. Release!" And with that, Littlefoot went back to normal. He staggered a bit, and Chomper rushed over to support him.

"Unh. Sorry guys. That power is overwhelming. It's going to take me some time to get used to it. And thanks, buddy."

"I know how you feel…" Cera muttered.

"You're welcome," Chomper replied.

"Let me just get a hold of myself before changing again."

"Very well. Rest a bit, I insist," Rey told him.

Littlefoot had sat down for only a minute or so before a scream pierced the air. He jerked up and looked down the mountain, the others doing the same. "Ali!" he exclaimed.

Down below, not far from the mountain, Ali was being chased by a Fast Biter. Other than him, she was alone; her herd was nowhere in sight. She was approaching a base section of the mountain that had no path or opening. Soon, she'd have nowhere to run.

"Get me down there, now! I'll save her!" Littlefoot declared.

Rey tapped his shoulder. "Transport." And with that, Littlefoot was at the bottom.

"Now is as good a time as any to try out my other form," he thought to himself. "Darkness, burn within my body!" There was a flash like last time, only now there was no reason to cover one's eyes. This time, the glare was pitch black, and his skin was a dark hue like the night sky. "Today you die, Sharptooth!" Littlefoot ran past Ali, diving into the Fast Biter.

The force of the impact sent them both flying back. Ali stopped and turned in surprise. The Fast Biter snapped at Littlefoot's shoulder, nicking it enough to draw blood.

"Enjoy the taste of my blood. It will be the last your tongue shall ever know!" Littlefoot's toes extended into sharp claws, and the flatness of his teeth was no more. "Now it's your turn to share!" and with a violent slash, he tore deep gashes into the Fast Biters chest. He screamed in pain, and Littlefoot hopped off. Littlefoot licked the blood off one of his feet menacingly, taunting the Fast Biter to come again. "I will show you no mercy; your death will be slow. I will enjoy watching you suffer as you did to my friend."

He ran up to Littlefoot, slashing with his claw, but Littlefoot caught the swipe in his mouth, and bared his teeth, and the Fast Biter roared in pain.

Rey and Reina watched from above, both alarmed at Littlefoot's vicious demeanor.

"Transport!" Rey called, and he appeared beside Littlefoot. "Littlefoot, take it easy! You're out of control."

Littlefoot said nothing at first, but reared up and back kicked Rey to the ground. With a fiery glare in his eyes, he said, "Never, and I mean never, interfere with my fights." The look on Littlefoot's face made Rey's spine tingle.

"Get his friends down here! They have to stop this madness," Rey shouted to Reina.

In seconds, all the children stood outside the fight. A blast of wind from Petrie knocked Littlefoot off towards a tall tree. Its roots suddenly sprang up to hold him in place. However, his muscles tensed and his body glowed and he quickly broke free from his bonds. The injured Fast Biter took advantage of this and scampered off.

"No one, not a single soul, ever interrupts my fights and leaves unscathed!" Littlefoot shouted. He ran towards them, but stopped when they did nothing. "Fight me!" he exclaimed. They said not a word, but then Chomper walked slowly towards him. Littlefoot lifted one of his front legs, and knocked him down. Tears formed in Chomper's eyes, but he got up and approached Littlefoot again.

"I'm not going to fight you," he told him, then clutched Littlefoot's leg tightly.

The blaze in Littlefoot's eyes softened. "Release!" he managed to say, and his body went back to normal. His vision clouded, then he collapsed, unconscious.


	13. Chapter XII

**Chapter XII: The Search Ends, so a Search Begins**

In which there is a great discovery.

"My lord!" the Long Neck called out. "I think I found it!" The entire group gathered around her, and low and behold, a dimly-glowing rock was at her feet. "I nearly tripped over a hole back here. All I could see was dirt, but I was curious about what made the hole so I dug around and there it was."

Dusk was ecstatic, but he composed himself and lifted it up. "Let's waste no time."

"My lord," Menta began, "We have been searching for the stone a long time, but we have yet to know what you plan to do with it. You had me search that Rainbow Face's mind for secrets of the stone, and I told you it all it can do and of that mysterious prophecy. Does your plan have something to do with the other power of the stone?"

"Yes, he answered.

"Oh?" Ceit said, entering the conversation. "There is more to the stone than we thought?"

"Yes," Dusk said again. "The stone can grant one wish to a dinosaur, provided five dinosaurs wish for the same thing at the same time, and one of them gives up his or her life. However, if the stone is used on the world it came from, it doesn't consume a life."

"Aw, then what's the point?" Agu complained. "We can't get to the Rainbow Face world, so who would help make a wish come true when he can't be alive to enjoy it?"

"There are those who place the livelihoods of others ahead of their own," Dusk told the boy. "Even if one has to die, the joy of doing something great for those he cares about is worth it, even when the feeling lasts but a few seconds."

"No my lord!" Menta exclaimed. "If I'd known you intended to sacrifice yourself for a wish, I'd have never helped you! I- I don't want to lose you again…" but she could not continue, having become too choked up.

Dusk rested his hand on Menta's chest. "What is my hand over?" he asked her.

"M-my heart."

"As long as you still have that, you will never lose me, because I've made my way inside of it."

"No!" she screamed. "I don't want sentimentality! I want you here with me! I refuse to help you make a wish. I won't be a part of sending you away again."

"It is for the good of all Sharptooth kind."

"What can be good about you leaving us? We need you. I need you!"

"Our kind has been dying off, slowly. There are many of us who either starve trying to find meat, or get killed first by the meat we tried to hunt. I am going to establish a way of life for us that will put to an end to either of those. I sought the stone to wish that Sharpteeth live on green food, just like the kinds we used to hunt."

"A life of ease is no life at all if you're not there. You know I was devastated when you left before. If you choose to die, I will join you!"

Dusk sighed. "Menta, we are the last of our herd. I need you to live on for the both of us. Don't let our family die off completely. I will always watch over you." But still, Menta was too upset to listen to reason.

"How can you be so heartless?" she shrieked.

"Alright, the rest of you, let us begin. We have just enough without her."

Coaley lowered her head and started sniffing hard.

"Coaley?" Dusk asked.

She said nothing in response, and her body shook slightly.

"Are you alright, Coaley?" Dusk tried again.

Coaley suddenly rushed over to Dusk, clutching him tightly. She looked up to reveal a face strewn with tears. She kept sniffing, trying to hold them back, but she could no longer.

"Wahhh! _Hic_! Don't die, Dusky, pl- _hic_-ease! You've always been like a- _hic_- father to me. You took me in when I had nowhere to go. I- I- _hic_- I can't lose you! Not now!" And with that, she buried her head in Dusk's chest and her hiccup sob continued.

Dusk was silent for a while, then he spoke up. "There aren't enough willing here to make the wish now anyway."

Menta turned to Dusk, and Coaley looked up hopefully with big eyes. The others were relieved. They wouldn't have helped make the wish either out of their feelings for Dusk, but they were afraid to argue with him. Now that making the wish wouldn't work right now, Dusk was blissfully unaware that none of them would have complied anyway.

"For now, let's just take our leave," Dusk said at last. "That other group is nearby, and they'll be enjoying Ceit's handiwork for a while. Coaley?"

"Y-yes?" she replied, between sniffs.

"Take us to the Night Forest. We can reevaluate things there."

Coaley's face lit up. "Okey dokey Dusky! To the Night Forest we go! Warp!"

And with that, the mountainside no longer supported two groups.

xxxxx

"I think he's coming to," Rey said.

"Unh." Littlefoot's vision came into focus very slowly, and he struggled to his feet.

"Welcome back," Chomper said.

"Wh- what happened?"

"You called upon your dark form to save a friend, but that kind of power takes a lot of getting used to. You lost control, and ended up passing out," Rey explained.

Chomper was rubbing a part of his chest, and Littlefoot noticed. "Chomper! What happened to you?"

"Oh, well I, kinda, uh, fell, on a rock," he replied. "Phew, that was close. I should have thought of something sooner," he thought to himself.

"That's not what hap-" but Ruby quickly covered Cera's mouth.

Littlefoot's eye widened. "Oh! What happened to Ali? Is she alright?"

"I am, thanks to you, Littlefoot."

Littlefoot turned to see Ali, blushing behind him.

"I'm glad you're okay. I was afraid that something had happened to you. Wait, she saw my form, didn't she?"

"Not to worry," Reina told him. "We filled her in while you were out. Afraid your power might have frightened her?"

"Yeah…"

"Considerate boy," Rey thought to himself.

"Now that everyone's awake, mind telling us what you're doing out here all alone? I find that suspicious," Reina said sternly.

"Huh? Me?" Ali asked, confused.

"Hey, leave her alone. She hasn't done anything," Littlefoot shot out.

"You don't find it odd that one of your friends happened to be at the same place we were and all by herself?"

"No, and it doesn't matter. There's nothing to ever be suspicious about with her," Littlefoot said defensively.

"You're not even go ask her what she's doing here?"

"No. I trust her, and you should too. What matters is finding the stone, so let's keep looking." Littlefoot, not having fully recovered, stumbled slightly as he tried to walk.

"Don't bother," Reina told him. "Dusk's group must have already found the stone."

"Why you think that?" Petrie asked her.

"When you've been around the stone long enough, you recognize what it feels like when it's energy is hitting you. It is plain as day to me that the stone is no longer here."

"She speaks the truth," Rey added. "Still, we knew from the start that this wouldn't be easy. If it was, we wouldn't be needing your help. Dusk's discovery of the stone begins our search for him, and while being powerful himself, he has strong allies as well."

"This is just great. They could have taken the stone anywhere, and for all we know, someone else might have taken it. Finding it now would be like trying to find a tree star in a tar pit," Cera pointed out.

"Perhaps, if we didn't have you," Rey said with a grin.

"Huh?"

"I am familiar with that coloration's power. You can communicate with plant life, and it's all connected through the ground. Find a plant and focus your mind through it, while thinking of Dusk. You will be able to see him if he is near other plants."

"That's a big if," she replied. "But okay." She turned her head to the left then the right, and spotted a small weed. She closed her eyes, and everyone grew silent. Then her eyes opened, and she announced, "He has the stone, and, we're going to the Night Forest."


	14. Chapter XIII

**Chapter XIII: Perils under the Moon and Sun**

In which trouble brews for one asleep and some awake.

"The body- it's- his. He's- dead- gone. He's not warm- at all. Is this- for real?" An adult, female Sharptooth stood in a pool of water, gazing at what floated right before her. She put her hand on his head. He could be sleeping, the way his face looked so peaceful. All that was missing was the rising and falling of his chest; he was motionless.

She roared in disbelief, and the sound echoed over a great distance. She was confused, for his body bore no marks. No tears from teeth, claws, or horns. She couldn't begin to fathom what had befallen him. She dragged him out of the water gently. She then walked to some nearby trees, and tearing them from their roots, she brought them over and covered his body.

She nuzzled his face one last time, then put the last tree on to completely cover him. She had been trembling, ever so slightly from the beginning, and continued as she turned to leave. As she walked away, she said aloud, "My brother will be a meal to no one."

She suddenly heard a noise, a slight rustling. She quickly turned to see a hand protruding from the pile of trees.

Menta sat upright immediately and gasped. She was panting hard, and Dusk's voice rang out, "Menta? What's wrong? Are you okay?"

"I- I'm fine," she replied. "I just had- that dream- again."

Dusk, who had been lying beside her, noticed that she was shaking. "You're not fine," he said, "You're cold, aren't you?" He put his hand on her cheek, only to discover that she was actually warm. He then realized that she was shaking only from her nightmare. Menta had had that dream often, but she had never woke up with the shakes before. Having it so often must be taking its toll.

Dusk was unsure of what to say. He didn't want to ask her to stay awake, because he knew she needed her rest. The part of the Night Forest Coaley was able to take them to Dusk had decided was unsuitable to spend the night at. They all had walked until they found a place less open, with thicker clumps of trees and higher up. Menta was already worn out from her emotions of earlier that day, so the walk had really taken everything out of her. Dusk wanted to say, "Just try and go back to sleep," but he did not want her to suffer again from her night terror.

Dusk stood up, and walked over to where Ceit was nestled. "Pst. Ceit."

"Eh?" he replied drowsily. "Oh! Yes, ma lord?"

"Have you gotten enough rest?" Dusk asked him.

"What is it you would have me do?" Ceit asked in return.

"Menta is still having those nightmares. Do you think you could- just for tonight?"

Ceit hesitated, then turned to the Long Neck who was sleeping nearby. "To be honest, I am still a bit weary. I'll have to let her go for a while."

"I understand," Dusk replied, and he too turned to the Long Neck. "I'll stay up with you, and keep an eye on her." With that, he got up and went back to where Menta was lying. "It's alright now. You can go back to sleep."

"I can guess what you and Ceit talked about. Thank you." Then she curled up back to sleep, and Dusk and Ceit sat together, keeping a constant vigil.

"I'm almost afraid to ask," Dusk began with a chuckle, "but what are you filling her head with?"

"My apologies, but I'm a bit too weary for anything extravagant. You and her are watching the bright circle set together, sitting atop a cliff over the ocean," Ceit explained.

Dusk patted him on the shoulder. "That's just perfect. She loves doing that, and it's been so long since we've been able to."

xxxxx

**Several hours earlier…**

"Hang on, kids," Rey instructed. The entire grouped vanished from sight, and reappeared a great distance away.

"Uh, this isn't the forest," Cera pointed out.

"Agreed," Rey replied.

"Aren't we going to the Night Forest?"

"Indeed."

"Then why are we he-"

"Such limited thinking," Reina muttered. "Have you already forgotten Rey's explanation of our power? We can only move as far as we can see; we have to move bit by bit.

"Fine, but why did we stop here? Can't you just keep doing it over and over till we get there?" Cera inquired further.

"Many powers come with what's known as a 'cool down.' A cool down is a period of time after an ability is used that it cannot be used again. Different powers have shorter and longer ones. Transport's is only a few seconds. Unh." Rey clutched his arm in pain.

"Are you alright?" Littlefoot asked quickly.

"It was easier to ignore the pain when I had so much energy. Transporting so many is really taking it all out of me- making my throbbing harder to ignore."

"Your body needs rest, rest is just what your body needs," Ruby said. "Let's wait a bit for Rey."

"He's fine," Reina said impatiently. "We need to keep moving. Transport." The group disappeared again, and again, and again, eventually coming to a thinner section where ample bright circle light shone down.

"Must you move us so abruptly?" Rey complained.

"Would you rather me not move you all? I'd be happy to leave you behind."

Rey grew silent.

Reina was about to move them all again when a Flying Sharptooth suddenly swooped down, picked Ducky up, and flew away. It happened so fast that everyone was stunned for a moment, then Petrie shouted, "Me get her!"

He took to the skies in hot pursuit. The adult however, was much faster than he was, so she quickly made a lot of distance between them.

"Ooh!" he exclaimed in frustration. "Me never catch up to her," he thought to himself. "Unless…" Petrie flapped his wings abruptly, focusing hard. A gust of wind emitted from behind his body and he shot forward with a great burst of speed.

"Go Petrie!" Littlefoot encouraged.

Petrie was moving faster than he ever had before, and he was nearly upon them, but he was flying too low, and many tall trees were coming up. Petrie was used to maneuvering around them, but he was not accustomed to doing so while flying so quickly, so his timing was off. "Me got her. Me got her. Me- oomph!- don't- got her- ughhh…" He slammed right into a tall tree and began sliding down.

"She's getting away!" Chomper shouted.

Littlefoot knew something had to be done, and fast. "I'll handle this!" he called out.

"Wait!" Rey shouted.

Recalling that everything ended up alright the last time he did this, Littlefoot called out, "Darkness, burn within my body!"

There was an explosion of black light, and Littlefoot again donned skin as black as night. Sharp claws extended from his feet, and he began climbing a tree, them digging into it sharply. When he reached the top, he leaped over to the top of another, then another, and so on as he began closing the distance between him and the Flying Sharptooth with Ducky. He finally reached a point just shortly below them. He let out a terrifying roar, and the flying beast looked down just to get her head smacked aside by the butt of Littlefoot's foot. The shock caused her to release her hold on Ducky and she began falling to the ground below. Littlefoot, however, paid his friend no heed. Fortunately, Ducky managed to grab a hold of a branch on one of the trees and safely climbed down. She looked up to see her friend still fighting.

Littlefoot jumped up again, landing on her back. She screeched in pain as he dug his now-sharp teeth into her neck. He slashed into her back, and she began loosing altitude from the weight and her injuries. Rey and the others finally caught up after a few transports, and watched Littlefoot tear into the Flying Sharptooth mercilessly.

"Littlefoot, please stop!" Chomper cried.

"You are not the you you used to be, but a different you! You need to change back!" Ruby added.

"If this keeps up," Rey thought to himself, "He'll became more of a burden than an asset. He needs to find a way to control that power, or he's going to hurt more than just foes."

The Flying Sharptooth could no longer sustain herself and began plummeting to the ground.

"Oh no, Littlefoot!" Ducky cried. She quickly looked around her, and spotted a small creek. She lifted her arm, and pointed it towards the water. It suddenly shot upward like a geyser, then jolted diagonally until it was spraying towards the two falling dinosaurs. The strong spray caught them, and slowly lowered them to the ground.

Ducky rushed over. "Littlefoot, are you alri-"

He turned and glared at her fiercely. "Did I ask for your help! Did I say to interfere! Raw!" He started to pounce on her but was abruptly knocked back into a tree by Chomper.

"I-I'm sorry, Littlefoot, but I can't let you hurt any of our friends. If I have to fight you to bring you back to your senses, then- I will," Chomper told him bravely, though he was shaking.

Littlefoot got to his feet, shaking his head a few times in the process from the blow, then grinned. "I'm going to enjoy this," he said as he licked his lips.

xxxxx

"So what do you plan to do now, ma lord?" Ceit asked. "I have a wee doubt that Coaley and Menta will ever agree to help you with your wish." He paused. "If I may be so bold as to speak, why not just ask those Rainbow Faces, or some of those kids. I can't imagine what complaints those two would have to such a wish, and I'd think that those leaf-eating children would be more than happy to oblige to a desire such as yours."

"A while back," Dusk began, "Before I was at odds with that male Rainbow Face, I made a reference to my wish without him knowing. I told him, 'I wonder what life would be like without meat-eaters.' He questioned my comment, but I only relayed that I was curious. He told me that that would be disastrous. Though that made no sense to me, I did not ask for further explanation, as I did not want to arouse his suspicion. In any case, that situation told me that he would most certainly not assist with my ambition.

As for the children, I'm sure they have already been warned against helping me. Those two think something bad will come of my wish, but they're just crazy. What harm is there in no more hunting for food? Anyway, I may have gained Chomper's trust. Even if he can't be swayed to join us, perhaps he would help me make the wish. If so, I'd only need to find one more dinosaur."

Before Dusk could continue, the young Long Neck began to stir behind him, but neither Dusk nor Ceit took immediate notice. The child awoke and drowsily got to her feet.

The two quickly turned. "Careless," Dusk thought to himself in dismay.

"Huh? Where- where am I? Mother? Mother! Where are you?" She began looking around her in a panic. "What's going on!" she shouted, then she screamed all the more when she saw the Sharpteeth around her.

The others, Menta, Agu, and Coaley, all woke up from all the noise.

"Ugh, what's with all the noise? Can't you see we're trying to sleep?" Agu whined. "Go shout somewhere else."

"Don't be mean," Coaley told him. She walked over to the panicky Long Neck. "Did you have a nightmare?" she asked her gently.

"I'm dreaming. I must be dreaming," the Long Neck said to herself repeatedly. "I'm surrounded by talking Sharpteeth who aren't eating me. Come on, wake up, wake up!"

"But you are awake, silly," Coaley tried to reason.

"Ceit, get her again before she gives away our location!" Dusk exclaimed.

Ceit closed his eyes and concentrated very hard, but nothing happened.

"What's the matter?" Dusk asked.

"Sorry, ma lord. I just need a minute. Menta's dream and little sleep has worn me out."

The Long Neck started to run deeper into the forest, terrified.

"What's wrong with her?" Coaley asked.

"Ceit's connection with her is gone. We have to catch her!" Dusk told them.

"I got this," Agu said. "I'll hold her until Ceit's rested enough to do his thing, but after this, she so owes me. Copy!" Suddenly, there were not one, but three Agus. They all took off running towards her, and quickly caught up. They tackled her to the ground, two holding her legs, and the real one sitting on her back. She struggled very hard though, so the copies really had their hands full. "Hurry it up, will ya?" he called back.

Finally, The Long Neck ceased her struggling, and the group all gathered around her. Agu's copies then vanished.

"M- my lord? What's going on? What am I doing way out here?" she asked him.

Agu however, took it upon himself to "explain." "You were sleepwalking, duh. I had to come chase you down so you wouldn't get hurt. You owe me now."

"Fine. Thank you for your help." As she walked passed him to get back to their resting area, she licked him on the cheek. "There, we're even now," she said with a giggle.

"Yuck, a kiss doesn't count for anything! You still owe me for helping you!" he said, cheeks red.

"I think she more than made up for your help," Menta said, smiling as she winked at the Long Neck. "I guess that means you owe her now." Then the whole group started laughing.

"Ugh, this is so unfair!" Agu whined.

"I think we've had enough excitement for one night," Dusk told them. "Let's go back and finish our sleep. The bright circle will be up soon."

They all walked back to their spot and lied down to finish resting, except Agu. He first glanced over at the Long Neck, put a hand on his cheek, blushed once more, then said, "Girls…" And with that, he too went back to sleep, and they all slept soundly till daylight came.


	15. Chapter XIV

**Chapter XIV: The Victory of Friendship and the Robbery**

In which the battle reaches a conclusion, and something is taken.

"Let's waste no time!" and with that, Littlefoot dashed at Chomper. He leaned his body down and slid across the ground, turning then whipping his tail out at the last second, knocking Chomper off his feet.

Ruby began to step in, but Rey held out his hand. "This is their fight, something they must do. I don't think either of them want any help." Ruby still had a very worried look, but waited.

Chomper charged back at Littlefoot, but Littlefoot glared at him fiercely till he stopped short. Chomper put a hand on his head and began shaking it abruptly, until Littlefoot's tail smacked him down again.

"Why did he stop like that!" Ruby asked.

Neither Rey nor Reina said a word; they seemed deep in thought.

"Come on, Chomper! Knock some sense into him!" Cera called out.

"I- I don't want to hurt him," he stammered back.

"Fight to win, or don't fight at all," Rey told him. "If you continue to hold back, you will get hurt and accomplish nothing. His form is much tougher than you may think. He can take a lot."

Chomper pulled a small tree from the ground and swung it at Littlefoot. He opened his mouth and caught the limb with ease. He then proceeded to crush the tree to splinters with his sharp teeth.

"You fool! I can tell when you're holding back. The power granted to you is great strength. Use it!" Reina exclaimed.

"You're pathetic," Littlefoot told him. "You have no fire in your eyes. Perhaps if more was at stake…" He then leaped over to the others, clutching Ducky in his mouth. "Here's your choice: Come at me with all you have, or she will be-"

Littlefoot took a blow to the chest that sent him skidding backward. He was abruptly stopped by hitting a tree which broke from the impact. Ducky went sailing through the air until Chomper caught her.

"That's my choice," Chomper replied.

Littlefoot go to his feet, revealing a large bruise on his chest. Instead of wincing in pain, he grinned. "Now that's the stuff. Your skills are worthy of your kind. I would expect no less from a Sharptooth. Raw!" And Littlefoot came at him with great force.

Chomper reached out and grabbed Littlefoot by the base of his neck. Littlefoot began to choke, slightly. "Don't ever compare me to other Sharpteeth," he said in a low tone. "Most of them will show no mercy to a leaf-eater. But me- I'm different, but more than that, I'm your friend. Now stop this right now, before anyone else gets hurt." Chomper then let go of his neck, and Littlefoot stared at him.

Littlefoot paused for a moment, then shouted, "Release!" and all the darkness dissipated into the air. Chomper was there to catch him again, but this time, Littlefoot did not collapse.

"Littlefoot?" Chomper began.

"Whew! I must be getting better at controlling that power. I didn't pass out this time," then he stopped and winced. "Ow. This bruise really hurts. Did that Flying Sharptooth do this to me?"

Once again, Littlefoot remembered nothing from his transformation. The whole group was too reluctant to say what all took place.

Finally, Rey spoke up. "So you recall nothing of what happened while you were empowered?"

"No, nothing." He froze when he saw the Flying Sharptooth on the ground, torn, and gasping for breath. "Di-did I do that?" he asked in shock.

"You saved me alright, yep yep yep," Ducky replied cheerfully.

"Wow. I can't believe I only ended up with a bruise after a fight like that."

"Excuse us one moment," Rey said, and he and Reina vanished. "What do you think?" he asked.

"He's powerful, yes. Over time, I'm sure he would unlock even more dark abilities. However, I find that form to be too much of a liability right now. Did you see what he did to Chomper? He pierced his mind with fear just by glaring at him. Dark power like that is only good when it can be controlled. Until we can find a way for him to be within his senses during it, I say he should not be allowed to use that form."

"I agree. For now, let's just ask him to only use that light form of his."

"Ask? You're too soft. Using only light has to be an order."

"Very well." The Rainbow Faces suddenly appeared back with the group.

"Littlefoot?"

"Yes?"

"Reina and I have been talking, and well, we find it best that you-"

"Grow some backbone!" Reina said with disgust. "Littlefoot, you are no longer allowed to use your dark form until further notice from me."

"Does this have something to do with what happened to that Sharptooth?"

"Partly. Anyway, am I understood?"

"Yes."

"Good. For now, when there's trouble, use your light form."

"Well, I think that's enough excitement for now. It's getting dark. Let's resume traveling." Rey then glanced at Reina with an innocent look, then looked down at his arm.

"Fine, lazy." She tapped all of the group and they were whisked away over a great distance. Not too many transports later, the group finally arrived at an edge of the forest.

"I've tried to refrain, but my curiosity has gotten the best of me. Why do you all call this the Night Forest?" Rey asked.

"Well, when you come inside with us, your curiosity won't be so curious anymore," Ruby said mysteriously.

"Very well," he replied. They all made their way inside, then he asked, "So you're sure they're here?"

"Yeah," Cera replied. "I think I know how to use my own power."

"Well, they may have departed by now. Why not check again?" he asked.

"Fine." A few seconds later, she said, "They're here alright, though pretty deep inside."

"Lead on then," Reina said.

"I'm gonna lead, but not because you told me too," Cera responded.

"Hm? What's your problem?" she asked her, confused.

"You're not my boss. Whether I lead or not is not your decision."

Littlefoot nudged Cera's shoulder. "Not this again. Come on, we can't waste time," he said.

With a blatant "Hmph!" she took off farther into the woods.

A few minutes later, Rey said, "Ah, I see." The group stopped and looked at him. "The trees here are so thick, it's like night whether the bright circle is out or not."

"Yep yep yep," Ducky told him.

After walking a bit longer, Cera announced, "We are nearly to them."

"Excellent work," Rey complimented.

"Yeah, nice going," Littlefoot added.

A few minutes later, Ali suddenly tripped and fell. "Oomph!"

"Ali!" Littlefoot ran to her and let her lean on him for support while getting up.

"Thanks, Littlefoot, but really, I'm ok- ow!" she held up her foot while expressing serious pain.

Rey and Reina exchanged glances. "Let me have a look," Rey told her. He examined her leg, and to his surprise, it was very swollen. He looked down to see an exposed tree root. "It seems it really was an accident," he thought to himself. "Transport." A tiny object appeared in his hand.

"What sort of thing is that thing?" Ruby asked.

"It's a bottle of ointment. As for a further explanation, trust me, it's beyond any of you kids. To make a long story short, it will ease the swelling and lessen the pain."

He twisted off the lid, poured some of the liquid into his hand, then gently applied it to Ali's ankle.

"Anyway," he continued, "It looks like we found our resting place for the night. She needs to stay off that foot for a while, and I fear the shifts through space might further injure it. Besides, it's now quite dark. Perhaps if we had the 'night circle' for light, but these trees barely let a thing through. Find a place to sleep. Good night." He found a spot to his liking and Reina reclined beside him.

Cera moved to a spot beside a tree. Spike plopped down where he was, and Ducky lied down beside him. Littlefoot found a place with no rocks or twigs, turned twice, then also took a position to sleep. Ali came and lied beside him, and Petrie flew over and landed on top of her. Petrie's eyes suddenly widened, but they quickly began to droop; he was too tired tonight to care about what he noticed.

Littlefoot raised his head one last time, and looked up to the sky. "Grandma, grandpa, please don't worry."

xxxxx

"Oh dear, what should we do?" Littlefoot's grandma asked worriedly.

His grandfather was silent for a bit, then replied, "Our Littlefoot is growing up. Every time this has happened before, he has had very good reason for it. I can't deny I'm a bit concerned myself, but I trust his judgment. If he's spent yet another night outside of the Great Valley, then all we can do is hope he accomplishes what he's set out to do, and wait for his safe return. Even if we wanted to search, we have no idea where he went."

She nudged him for a while, then said, "You're right. Oh Littlefoot, please, be safe." And with that, she too looked towards the sky then lied down beside her mate.

xxxxx

Though mostly blocked from the trees, the rays of the bright circle began shining down. Dusk let out a big yawn, stretched, then sat up. He looked in surprise when he saw that Ceit was still awake. He got to his feet, hand on his lower back as he stretched again, then walked over to his winged friend.

"Why are you still up? Menta had told you after that ordeal that she'd be fine and to get some rest."

"I had accepted the first part of that statement, but the second had some- interference."

"Explain."

"My greatest work will be gone if I lose consciousness. It was extremely fortunate that I've held on. They would have found us if I'd slept."

"How did they find us?" he asked, alarmed. "How close did they get?"

"I couldn't stop them just anywhere. That could easily arouse suspicions. I timed things just right, and it all worked out."

Dusk patted him on the back. "Now, we must leave as soon as possible. I have no idea how they could have found us, but we can only hope they won't be so lucky again."

"Before we go," Ceit said, "Let's get some nourishment." He pointed to two small Dome Heads piled near a tree. Dusk's mouth watered.

"Alright! Everyone up! We need to eat then get moving right away."

Coaley, Agu, and the Long Neck stirred in unison then sat up.

"Oh boy!" Agu exclaimed, running over to the food.

Dusk turned his head from side to side. "Menta?" he asked aloud.

The others all looked around as well, but Menta was nowhere to be seen.

Dusk's eyes continued to search, but no avail. "Now where could she have- no! She took the stone!"


	16. Chapter XV

**Chapter XV: The Ending of Secrecy and the Beginning of War**

In which Dusk's mysterious group member is finally revealed, and a battle of both sides begins.

Petrie rolled over and yawned. He raised his head opened his eyes drowsily. He then closed them and tried returning to sleep. Then they suddenly opened wide when he realized what he was lying on.

"Guys, wake up!" he exclaimed.

"Not now, daddy. Just a few more…" Petrie pecked the back of her head and she jerked awake. "What!"

"Ali gone."

Hearing that brought Littlefoot full to his senses. "Ali?" he called out. "Ali!"

Rey walked over. "Don't bother," he told them. "She can't hear you because she was never here to begin with."

"I hear what you mean, but I don't know what you mean," Ruby said. "We all saw her."

"I told you all long ago, that if you don't see it with your own eyes, you won't believe it. It seems you all have the reverse as a problem as well," Reina said.

"What's that supposed to mean?" Cera demanded.

"You rely too heavily on what your eyes do and not perceive. You have to work with more than just that. Rey and I looked, and what seemed to be Ali did not walk away. There are no new footprints, and no one can retrace one's steps perfectly."

"Maybe someone transported her away," Littlefoot suggested.

"We know that power very well, so we are also aware that that couldn't be it. I examined the area that 'Ali' was sleeping in. There is a small puddle of the ointment I applied last night. I was suspicious, so I applied much more than necessary to leave ample evidence. If she was transported away, the salve wouldn't have been left behind. What we all saw yesterday has ceased to exist," Rey told them.

"Oh! That reminds me!" but then Petrie quickly covered his mouth.

They all turned to look at him. He chuckled nervously and said, "Nothing."

"Petrie!" Cera yelled.

"Okay, okay. Me sleep on Ali before, back in the Land of Mists, so me got to know really well how she smells. Last night, on Ali, Petrie no smell anything."

"WHY DIDN'T YOU SAY SO RIGHT AWAY!" Cera bellowed.

"Me- too tired?" he replied with a sheepish grin.

"You did well, Petrie," Rey complimented.

"Me _real_ sorry, okay? Me- huh? Petrie do- well?"

"Yes. If we had made a scene last night, they would have known we were on to them. For all they know now, we have no idea what happened to her. Now we can be ready if it shows up again," Rey explained.

"I don't understand," Littlefoot spoke up. "Who exactly was that?"

"Not _who_, my boy, but _what_," Rey replied. "Reina have had our suspicions that Dusk's group had one, but this confirms it."

"Will you start making sense already?" Cera said impatiently.

"If you hadn't interrupted, perhaps he'd've been able to," Reina told her.

"As I was saying, what we saw wasn't a real anything. Dusk's group must have an illusionist. They have the power to change the sensatory signals that enter one's body, and even create an entire entity that emits signals of its own. Sustaining an object like that takes a lot of concentration and energy. They can do one more thing, but very few illusionists I've come across have been able to do it, because it takes immense mental focus and energy. It is the ability to create illusions and implant them into someone as memories, and in doing so, control him or her. Both sustaining an object that isn't real and manipulating someone's memories take so much energy that the illusionist must be awake for them to hold out."

"An illusionist doesn't necessarily have to be awake to keep false memories in someone," Reina corrected. "But if one keeps them going all the time, he or she won't get much rest while sleeping. I suppose those with a lot energy would keep it going all the time, because making fake memories causes quite a strain."

"I didn't understand most of that, but what I think I understand, I don't understand," Ruby said with a puzzled look. "How does changing someone's memory give an illusionist control of that dinosaur?"

"Do you obey your parents?" Rey asked her.

"Of course."

"Then, for example, I could create the illusion in your memories that I am your father, and in turn, you would obey me."

"Ohhh."

"Anyway, here's a simpler way of saying what Rey said: Illusionists can make things seem ways they are not, create things that seem real but aren't, and a select few can make dinosaurs believe things that aren't true," Reina simplified.

"Why didn't he just say that to begin with?" Cera asked.

"He has a real knack for making things harder than they have to be," she replied, annoyed she had to repeat everything.

"Me have question," Petrie spoke up.

"Yes," Rey answered.

"Why that Ali illusion have no smell?"

"Good question. The more senses who deceives, the more energy it takes. Whoever did this assumed no one would notice no smell so didn't make it to conserve energy."

xxxxx

"Hold on a minute," the young child requested.

"Yes?" his father asked back.

"So that 'masterpiece' thing that Ceit keeps talking about- was it that Ali illusion? I think that's what the story is saying, but it's not very clear."

"You're a smart kid, son. Yep, the Ali illusion is indeed the masterpiece Ceit spoke of.

"Okay then, and the story mentions that he made it before to go into the Great Valley. Did anyone see it then?"

"Actually, a number of dinosaurs did, but we're getting ourselves. The story will explain that in time."

"Alrighty, you can keep on reading." His father paused. "Please." He then smiled resumed the tale.

xxxxx

Suddenly, out of nowhere came a loud crunching of branches in the distance. Everyone immediately looked in the direction of the sound, and there came into view a small, white Sharptooth holding a small object.

She ran over to the group, got on her knees, and presented the item to Rey.

"Please forgive us for the trouble we've caused you," she said, "Now I beg of you, take the stone and go back to your world."

The group was all in shock, but Rey quickly composed himself and reached for the Stone of Cold Fire. A loud screech suddenly pierced the sky and a Flying Sharptooth swooped down and caught the stone in his talons before Rey could grab it. He flew high into the air, far out of reach of the land-walkers. More noise filled the forest and a group of small dinosaurs arrived before Littlefoot and the others.

"Betrayal, Menta?" asked the black, male Sharptooth.

"My lord! I- I-" Dusk raised his hand, and she grew silent. He then turned to Rey.

"We meet yet again, Dusk," Rey said solemnly. "Now we shall end thi-"

Chomper had been looking at Coaley curiously, but then he noticed Agu and his eyes widened. "Wait, I know you!" he exclaimed, pointing at him.

"Sorry, you must have me confused with someone else," he replied.

Chomper scooped up a rock, then tossed it at Agu's feet. Agu's eyes widened.

"Hey, now I remember! You're that kid who was muttering to himself and throwing things at me! I went and asked my parents to get rid of you because it was really creeping me out."

Now it was Chomper who went wide-eyed. "Oh, no wonder he never talked back to me," he thought to himself. "I completely forgot to speak Sharptooth!" Remembering the task at hand, Chomper looked to Dusk with big eyes. "You- you're not going to fight us, are you?"

Eyes still on Rey, he replied, "That depends if your friends are going to let us walk away with the stone or not."

"I think you know the answer to that already, Dusk," Rey told him.

"Not necessarily," Dusk replied nonchalantly. "Why don't you come out, Ali?" Littlefoot's head jerked over. A small Long Neck emerged from behind a tree. "If things were to become- complicated- during this encounter, I cannot guarantee her safety."

"Nice try," Reina said with a smirk. "We know you have an illusionist in your group. That Ali isn't the real one."

Petrie flew over until he was right above her, and began sniffing. "Hey!" he exclaimed. "Me think this one real! It has her scent."

"The illusion was more than likely improved since the last time," Rey said cautiously.

"Which one of you knows Ali the best?" Dusk asked.

"I do," Littlefoot replied with confidence.

"I will have her released long enough for you to ask her one question that only she would know. Then you can be certain if she is real or not." He nodded at Ceit.

The Long Neck blinked a few times, then looked around her in alarm. "Wh-what's going on? Where am I?"

Rey and the others with him looked at her suspiciously. Then Littlefoot walked up to her.

"Don't worry Ali. Its going to be alright. I can explain everything. But first, do you remember when we got the day flowers to help my sick grandmother?"

"Huh? I must dreaming. We went to get the _night_ flowers for your grand_father_."

Dusk nodded at Ceit again. Ali suddenly grew silent.

"It's the real Ali!" Littlefoot shouted. "Let her go!"

"Don't follow us through Coaley's warp hole and you have nothing to worry about," Dusk assured him.

"Dusk," Chomper said, quite upset, "What you're doing is wrong. Please, don't keep her any longer."

Dusk sighed. "Chomper, you don't understand now, but in the end, you will thank me for what I'm doing."

Chomper bared his teeth. "Ali is my friend, and I will never thank you for doing this to her!"

"You misunderstand," Dusk told him. "The 'Ali' you met in the Great Valley was just an illusion. The real one has been with us longer than you realize. Despite Ceit messing up her coloration somewhat, no one realized it wasn't really her, luckily. So in reality, Chomper, you never knew Ali."

Chomper's mouth dropped open, but he quickly recovered. "So what?" Ali is Littlefoot's friend, and any friend of his is a friend of mine, so there! Now please let her go, Dusk. I am asking nicely."

"Until my mission is done, I cannot, sorry. But I still believe that when all is said and done, you will be grateful for what I am doing. Now, if you'll all excuse me," and he turned to leave.

"Not so fast," Rey told him. "We never agreed to your terms."

"But Rey! We can't risk hurting Ali. It will be hard to fight them and make sure she's okay at the same time," Littlefoot said.

"That is a risk we have to take. If Dusk gets what he wants from the stone, something terrible will happen," Rey replied.

Dusk took on a bemused countenance. "You're obviously misinformed, but anyway, if you want to fight- very well. Everyone, come on."

Menta looked up to Rey and mouthed, "I'm sorry," and rejoined Dusk.

Rey turned to his group. "Alright everyone, this is it. You have had plenty of time to understand your power, I just wish you'd've had more time to try them out. Still, no better time than the present, I suppose."

"Let's do this," Littlefoot said, a fire in his eyes. "Darkness, burn within my body!"

"STOP!" Reina shouted, but it was too late. Littlefoot had gotten so caught up in the moment that he had forgotten his warning. Before them stood a Long Neck with skin like night itself.

Littlefoot glared at Dusk, and said, "Don't think at any time that this is a nightmare. You'll soon see that this is far worse. Rawww!"


	17. Chapter XVI

**Chapter XVI: Fighting, Dancing, and a New Leader**

In which a fierce battle ensues, and the leaf-eaters come under new leadership.

Littlefoot pounced on Dusk and they rolled down a ravine. Agu raised his hand and two duplicates appeared. They all charged Cera, but a large tree lowered its branches and pulled up every one of them. Agu and his copies struggled.

"Let me go!" the real one shouted.

"As if," Cera replied.

"Ali, I need to be stronger!' he shouted, hopelessly struggling against the strong limbs.

"Strength," Ali said quietly Ali lifted her front foot and set it down. She tossed her head back then lifted her other front foot, just to set it down again. Her body swayed back and forth and she swished her tail around.

"Is she- dancing!" Cera thought to herself with a perplexed look. She quickly turned when she heard a loud snap behind her and the three Agus stood before her, grinning.

"They have a dancer, eh?" Rey said thoughtfully. "This will be challenging."

"Are you gonna help or what?" Cera asked, just as the Agus tackled her.

"Afraid not," Reina told her. "Rey is hurt and I'm exhausted from all the transports. Besides, you agreed to help us, not the other way around."

"What!" Cera shouted, but her attackers stole her focus.

They were pounding on her, and with their extra strength it was really painful. Chomper dived over her, knocking one of the copies to the ground. It vanished, then reappeared, grabbing Chomper from behind.

Cera kept trying to buck the other two Agus off, but to no avail. Then she had an idea. A tree bent over and Cera jumped on top. It straightened up, holding her high above the ground.

"What are you- ah!" Agu yelped. "I hate heights!"

Cera smiled. She shook herself and they lost their grip from fear. They quickly clutched a branch while Cera leapt off, only to be caught by a leafy branch from a neighboring tree, getting safely to the ground.

Chomper elbowed the copy in its stomach, knocking it down. He then gathered all his strength and threw it on top of the tree with the real one and other copy. Agu screamed and squirmed frantically. Chomper suddenly felt sorry for the terrified Sharptooth and asked Cera, "When are you going to let him down?"

She grinned evilly. "Who said anything about letting him down?"

xxxxx

Petrie was sending gust after gust at Ceit, but he side-stepped them with ease. This happened three times; Ceit's speed was just unreal "How…?" he cried in dismay. "Ooh!" He twirled his hands around above his head and a whirlwind formed. He thrust his hands toward Ceit, sending it hurdling towards him at an incredible speed, but Ceit avoided it entirely. Petrie landed, huffing loudly. "What- _huff_- going on…?"

Ceit grinned, and a shadow came up on Petrie from behind.

"Gotcha!" Petrie shouted. He turned to the Flying Sharptooth behind him, jutted his wing back, and a wall of wind knocked Ceit back into the trunk of a large tree. He quickly shook his head, trying to recover from the impact, but Petrie cupped his hands and threw a swirling ball of air at Ceit's head. It forced it back into the tree, knocking Ceit out.

"Heh, Petrie was ready for your surprise attack. Me knew that first you was illusion whooole time; it have no smell."

xxxxx

Reina rushed over to get the stone Ceit had dropped, but a female, black Sharptooth got to it first. Scooping it up, she said, "Sorry miss Rainbow Face, but Dusky wants this."

"Give me that!" Reina shouted. She tried swiping it from Coaley's hands, but she warped away. Reina was about to go through the warp hole she'd left behind, but Rey stopped her.

"Wait," he told her. "That could take you miles away. The stone is outside our reach yet again."

xxxxx

Ruby, Ducky, and Spike all stood before the white Sharptooth.

"Giving up is what you should do, so you should give up," Ruby told her.

Menta turned to Ali. "You know what to do," she said.

Ali nodded. "Power," she said quietly, and continued to dance.

Menta raised her hands and Ducky and Spike rose into the air.

"Huh!" Ducky and Spike said in unison, starting to struggle.

Ruby watched what Menta was doing. Menta quickly shifted her hands to the right and Ducky and Spike went hurdling through the air. Ruby lifted her hands and her two friends stopped, shortly before impact. The energy it took for Ruby to stop them was immense, as Ali was making Menta so much more powerful. Ruby started to pant.

"You're a psychic too?" Menta asked in surprise.

"I am whatever I want to be," Ruby replied. She pushed her hand forward and Menta shot backwards, but she quickly regained her footing. Branches started to break from their limbs, heading straight for Ruby. Ruby swished her arm from left to right and the branches flung backwards, onto the ground.

"She's a psychic alright, but thanks to Ali, I can pull a lot more weight than she can," Menta thought to herself. Her muscles tensed as she focused on two large trees. They broke free from the ground and went sailing towards Ruby. Ruby tried to knock them back, but they was moving with too much force for her to stop. The trees were about to crush her when Spike jumped between them.

"Spike, no!" Ruby yelled, but Spike merely grinned at her. His body suddenly hardened, and the trees crashed into him, breaking to splinters, leaving Spike unharmed.

Menta again lifted her arms, and two trees broke free from their bonds, coming towards Ruby from each side of her. Ruby closed her eyes and her body suddenly hardened, protecting her from the impact.

"'I am whatever I want to be…'" Menta replayed in her head. "Of course! She can copy the power of others!" She growled with frustration, then concentrated very hard. Getting the information she wanted, she then focused back on her opponents. "So, the Spike Tail can just harden his body, the Swimmer can control water, and the Fast Runner can use any ability she sees, but only for a short time before having to see it again. This'll be tough."

Ducky twitched her hand, and the dew from some of the grass began to collect into one spot. It lifted off the ground, and flew towards Menta. What seemed like a harmless puddle quickly froze into a chunk of ice, but Menta ducked more than quickly enough.

"You are fast, yep yep yep, but we'll beat you," Ducky declared.

"Hee hee," Menta thought to herself. "I'm not very fast. I read her thoughts before her attack even began. I just wish mind reading wasn't so tiring." Menta held out both hands, and her body tensed. With one hand, she forced Ruby's eyes closed.

"Hey!" she shouted.

With her other hand, she caused several trees to collapse, falling towards the three leaf-eaters.

"You can't protect them all, Spike Tail!" Menta shouted.

Spike instinctively went for his sister, standing over her while hardening. The trees came crashing down, and then there was silence. Menta released her hold on Ruby's eyes and Ruby looked up in horror to see Rey beside her under a large tree.

Reina quickly appeared beside him, tears in her eyes. "You- you fool! Why can you never resist helping others!" she said between sobs. "Don't leave me now…"

Ruby got to her feet and pressed her head against his chest. "Wait! He's still breathing!"

Ducky used the distraction and shot more water at Menta. Ducky did it suddenly and without thinking, so Menta wasn't expecting it. It knocked her back into a tree, then hardened into ice, holding her in place.

"Ugh!" she exclaimed as she struggled, but she could not break loose. "Ali, strength!" but Ducky was ready. Though she didn't understand what Ali was doing, she knew it was helping her, so she covered Ali's legs in water, then froze them.

"I am sorry, Ali, I am, I am,. I hope that doesn't hurt you," Ducky said as Ali fell to her side.

"I need to get him home right now. He needs medical attention," Reina told them. "Elect a leader, then continue searching for the stone. We'll return as soon as we can. Good-bye," and with that, Reina closed her eyes. A light shone down from above, and the two of them were gone.

There was a crunching of leaves as footsteps made their way up the hill. The leaf-eaters looked over hopefully, but were terror-stricken to see Dusk come into view. He was limping and torn, but was breathing calmly. A tree limb scooped him and clutched him tightly.

"What happened, to Littlefoot!" Cera demanded.

"He's-" but he began to gasp for breath from the pressure.

"Cera, lighten up a little," Ruby said.

Cera loosened the hold on Dusk, and he said, "He's alive. Some cuts and bruises, but otherwise fine."

"You expect me to believe that you won then just let him be?" Cera asked, starting to tighten the limb again.

"I-" he coughed, "Didn't win."

Cera dropped him from surprise. "Then why-"

Getting to his feet, Dusk replied, "His power was overwhelming. If he hadn't passed out from exhaustion, I wouldn't be standing here at all."

"You didn't- eat him afterwards, did you?" Chomper asked nervously.

"I couldn't risk trying anything that might wake him. Just look at the bottom of this hill and you'll see him," then Dusk started to walk towards Menta.

"Oh no you do-" but Chomper put her hand out to stop her.

"It's over," Chomper said. "Let's not fight when we don't have to."

"Fine," Cera replied in a low tone. The she exclaimed in a loud voice, "We're going to keep coming for the stone, and if you fight us again, get ready to have your butts kicked- again."

"Noted," was all Dusk said in reply, and began slashing away the ice holding Menta. After she was free, he did the same to Ali. Ceit finally came to, and flew over to Dusk, and Menta telepathically lowered Agu to the ground.

"Hold on!" Cera commanded. "Ali stays with us."

Coaley suddenly emerged from behind a tree, and ran to Dusk and the others. "Sorry Mrs. Three Horn, but Dusky wants Ali to come with us. Warp!" The entire group vanished, leaving what looked like a hole floating in midair.

"No, Ali!" Petrie shouted, but she was far beyond hearing distance.

Ducky had begun walking to the edge of the hill, but Littlefoot's head suddenly popped up and she fell back in surprise.

"Did we win?" was his first remark, then he added, "Where are Rey and Reina?"

"Yeah, we beat 'em" Cera replied.

"And Rey was hurt keeping me from getting hurt, so Reina took him home to get him help," Ruby finished, downcast.

Chomper came to her side, putting a hand on her shoulder. "It's not your fault," he told her.

"But it is!" she cried. "If I'd only been more careful, he wouldn't've needed to save me."

"Ruby, Rey was proud of you, he was, he was" Ducky said.

"H-how can you know that?" she asked her.

"Before Reina took him away, I saw that he was smiling. He was proud of how well we did."

"That Rey is something else…" Ruby said quietly.

"What should we do now?" Littlefoot asked.

"Reina told us to pick a leader and continue trying to get the stone back," Ducky answered. "And I can think of no one better than you, Littlefoot."

"Me? Why?"

"It was you who led us to the Great Valley safe and sound, so I believe you can lead us to the stone as well."

"Are you guys all okay with me doing that?"

They all nodded, except Cera. They all turned to her, then she rolled her eyes and said, "Okay, fine. We follow Littlefoot. Just don't go getting all bossy."

Littlefoot chuckled. "Deal."


	18. Chapter XVII

**Chapter XVII: The Dawn of Light**

In which Littlefoot casts darkness aside.

"Ugh, I can't believe they kicked our butts," Ago whined.

"Don't feel badly. I powered you up, so you had a lesser chance to win," Ali reasoned.

"Thanks," he replied. Then her words sunk in, and he recognized the sarcasm. "Hey!"

"They are indeed quite strong," Ceit commented. "It's no wonder they were prophesied as having the potential to stop us."

"If it wasn't for Coaley here, they'd've gotten the stone back," Dusk added. Coaley beamed. "And the rest of you performed nicely as well. Besides me, while you've all tried out your abilities, you've never been in an actually fight before. Ah!" Dusk quickly clutched his shoulder.

"Easy, my lord," Menta told him, pressuring him back to relax. "That Long Neck was clearly playing for keeps."

"Yes," he replied. "His attacks were so relentless it was all I could do to survive; I couldn't get any shadow pulls in at all. Perhaps if I was prepared, but his strength caught my completely off guard. If he hadn't passed out, history would have repeated itself."

Menta shuddered and the others looked at him with perplexed expressions.

"It's nothing, never mind. Anyway, they won't be so lucky next time. That fight showed us a lot, so we'll be ready. I don't know how they found us the first time, but they may very likely find us again in the same manner."

"Then what can we do?" Agu asked. "If we can't lose them, why run?"

Dusk took a deep breath and exhaled. He hated hiding things from his comrades, but he knew their knowledge may jeopardize their cooperation.

"We're not exactly running from those dinosaurs. We're running to some dinosaurs. I would like to visit some old friends of mine. We haven't talked in a while, and it would be nice to socialize a bit."

Menta eyed him suspiciously. "If only I hadn't promised to stay out if his head, I could find out what he's up to," she thought to herself. "And there's no point in asking. When he wants us to know something, he tells us on his own."

"Ooh, more friends? Yay! I can't wait to meet 'em. Are they in a place I've been to before?" Coaley asked.

"Sorry, kiddo. We'll have to walk there," Dusk replied.

"Okey dokey, Dusky," but she quickly covered her mouth.

Dusk chuckled and said, "You saved the stone. You can call me whatever you wish."

"Ooh! Thank you! Let's see now. How about- Super Dusky, Commander of Shadows!"

"That has a nice ring to it," Menta had to admit.

"Agreed," Dusk added with a big grin. "Just use a bit of discretion. Otherwise, you'll be out of breath in no time." The whole group started laughing, then Dusk straightened up, donned a serious expression, and said, "Let's get moving. Oh, and Coaley, I'll hang onto the stone now."

"Alrighty," she replied, handing it to him.

Menta suddenly froze, looking very worried as she remembered something. Dusk turned to her, noticing, and gave her a smile that said, "All is forgiven." And with that, the six dinosaurs began making their way out of the Night Forest, towards a new location.

xxxxx

"They are going this way," Cera announced, as she began guiding the others.

"Your power is very useful, it is, it is," Ducky told her.

"Hee. Thank you," she replied with a proud expression.

"I just hope the usefulness of her ability stays useful," Ruby said thoughtfully. "If they leave to where there aren't any plants, we can't keep tracking them this way."

"So Littlefoot, being our leader and all, what are we gonna do when we catch up to them again?" Chomper asked him.

"Well, I uh, I'm not sure yet. We may have to fight them again."

"That won't be a problem. We whipped them easily earlier," Cera pointed out.

"Still," Ruby continued, "I don't think getting the stone back will be a walk in the meadow. That little Sharptooth that was with them can disappear at will. We'll need some kind of strategy for next time."

At the mention of Coaley, Chomper blushed.

"You okay, Chomper?" Littlefoot asked.

"Yeah…"

"You think she's cute, don't you?" Cera teased.

"No! Well, kinda, maybe…"

"Chomper likes a girl. Chomper likes a girl," Cera chanted.

"I do not!"

"Easy, guys. Let's try to focus," Littlefoot instructed.

The group pressed on a while longer, then Cera came to a halt. Turning to the others, she said, "They're out of the forest. I can take you to where they got out, but I can't lead you any more."

"That is okay Cera, okay that is," Ruby told her, patting her on the head.

"Yes, Cera do good job for sure," Petrie chimed in.

"Uh huh, uh huh," Spike added.

"Yeah, don't worry. I'm sure we'll figure out something," Littlefoot encouraged.

As the gang was about to reach the exit of the forest, they all heard a familiar screech. Turning around, the kids saw the same Flying Sharptooth that had snatched Ducky earlier, wounds completely healed. It began descending towards Littlefoot, talons extended; she remembered him.

"Don't worry, I'll take care of her again," Littlefoot announced.

"Die!" she screeched, and the whole group gasped in astonishment that they could understand her. As she drew near, she shouted, "Grow!" and her body size increased five fold.

"What in the world-!" Cera shouted.

"Oh no!" Ruby exclaimed. "The stone's been in the forest so long, I'll bet that that Flying Sharptooth got power of her own!"

"Just what we need…" Littlefoot sighed. "Oh well. Here I go!"

"Don't forget to use light this time!" Chomper reminded.

"Oh yeah. Light, shine within my heart!" With a brilliant glare, Littlefoot's skin shown like the stars in the sky and he donned a noble countenance.

"I wish not to fight thee, miss. Leave us in peace; let blood be spilt not.

"You'll pay for stealing my children's lunch!" the Flying Sharptooth said with a shrill cry.

"I see," Littlefoot said thoughtfully. "Thou hast a pure heart, but not all means can justify an end. I shall not sit idly by when a friend is endangered."

Ignoring him, she quickly slashed with one of her claws, but Littlefoot dodged it easily. She began swinging both claws towards him, and pecking at him as well, but Littlefoot kept moving just right in order to avoid all the blows entirely. She stopped quickly, pulling her wing back and putting a large amount of strength into a swing, then let loose. Littlefoot ducked, and her attack chopped right through a tree, knocking it down.

"Fight, Littlefoot. Come on!" Cera coaxed.

"She is but a mother looking after her young. I have no desire to fight one such as her." She took to the air and made an aerial charge for him, but he side-stepped with incredible ease, so she slammed into a tree. She shook her head to regain her senses, and a small trickle of blood slid down her beak. Littlefoot saw this, and claws began to extend from his feet.

"Finally he's going to attack her," Cera thought.

Littlefoot rushed towards her at a startling speed and quickly slashed her beak with one of his front feet. The Flying Sharptooth winced, expecting pain, but she opened her eyes to find the pain from her beak gone. The wound from the impact was no more. She looked up at Littlefoot in confusion.

"It is not the way of light to destroy, or harm. I am of life, preservation- and healing. Be it that thou can understand me, I implore you to go your way in peace. Thou hast only tried to look after thine own, just as I am." Littlefoot turned and walked over to a large, rotten log lying on the ground. He turned it over, revealing several worms. "Take these, and satisfy your kin."

The Flying Sharptooth got up, walked over to him, and scooped several of the creatures up. She started to fly away, and shrank back to her normal size. Before she left eyesight, she turned and gave him a look that Littlefoot just knew meant, "Thank you."

"Release," Littlefoot said, and his coloration went back to normal. However, for the first time, he did not seem winded at all. "Hey, I think I'm starting to get the hang of this. I don't feel tired one bit."

"Your light form is dumb," Cera said bluntly. "All you do is avoid attacks and heal. 'Fighting' like that won't help us beat Dusk."

"I healed that Flying Sharptooth?" Littlefoot asked in surprise.

"That's right," Chomper said thoughtfully, entering the conversation, "Littlefoot doesn't remember what he does in his forms. And yeah, that Flying Sharptooth got hurt and you healed her."

"Then how did I win?"

"If I had to guess, my guess would be that she was thankful you healed her so stopped fighting," Ruby explained.

"I see," he replied. "I just hope that enemies in the future will also be like that."

"I doubt it," Cera told him. "Sure, your dark form usually comes after us, but at least it actually fights."

Littlefoot froze.

"Cera!" Chomper exclaimed, nudging her in her side.

"I attack you guys when I'm in my dark form?"

Chomper stepped forward reluctantly. "When you're dark, all you can think about is fighting. Whenever we've gotten in the way, you've turned to us. But don't worry, everything's fine."

"How can fighting my friends be fine!" He paused in recollection. "Wait a minute. Back when that Fast Biter was attacking that Ali illusion, and you got hurt- that was me, wasn't it?"

Chomper lowered his head. "Yes," he said quietly.

"So that's why those Rainbow Faces insisted I only use light! I am so sorry, Chomper! Why didn't you guys tell me this earlier?" Littlefoot was clearly horrified at what he'd done.

"We knew it wasn't your fault, nope nope nope," Ducky told him.

"So we no want you feeling badly," Petrie finished.

Spike shook his head in agreement.

"Thank you for being thoughtful, but I should have been told right away! I would have made sure to have never used that form again if I'd only known. From now on, I'm done with darkness."

"No, Littlefoot! Your dark form is where your power's really at, and we need it for beating Dusk. We'll just make sure we don't get in your way again," Cera told him.

"I can't put you guys at risk," he told them all solemnly. "I'm going to do my part to help win this battle, but I'll be doing so with my light form alone."


	19. Chapter XVIII

**Chapter XVIII: Bonding and Hunting**

In which dinosaurs draw close, and old foes draws near.

Dusk and his companions were slowly making their way over a vast wasteland of dust and bones. The wind provided some comfort, but the heat was still nigh unbearable.

"Whew, it is sooo hot out here," Agu pointed out.

"Wow, really? I hadn't noticed," Ali replied with a smirk.

"Grrr."

"Let's not get testy, guys," Dusk instructed. "We'll be at some clean water soon where we can cool off."

"Any food?" Agu asked.

"Not sure. I suppose some creatures visit there off and on. I'm certain that Ali will find a meal there though."

Ali playfully stuck her tongue out at Agu, and he turned away in anger.

"If you two don't start getting along soon, I'm going to tie both of you together until you learn how," Dusk said sternly.

"It's her fault!"

"Nuh uh!"

"Yeah huh!"

"Enough!" Dusk roared. "Come here you two." Agu and Ali somberly approached until their shadows were touching each other. "Shadow Bind!"

The two children looked at Dusk in confusion, then tried moving apart, only to find that they could not.

"What did you do!" Agu exclaimed.

"I bound your shadows together. Now you two have no choice but to learn how to get along."

The two of them glanced at each other, then quickly turned their heads, muttering "Humph!" in unison. Dusk sighed.

"Oh, look," Dusk told the group cheerfully. "See that area over there with all the plants, near the ocean? That's the perfect spot to rest, and it means we're nearly there."

"Alright!" Ali exclaimed. Completely forgetting she was connected to Agu, she took off full speed down towards the fertile area. With an abrupt "Whoa!" from Agu, he lost his footing and began being dragged along the dirt. Ali quickly noticed and tried to stop suddenly, but she stumbled and the two of them began rolling down the decline until they landed at the bottom with a loud thump.

Ceit rolled his eyes, Menta and Dusk couldn't stop laughing, and Coaley ran down to them. "Are you guys okay?" she asked them, very worried.

"I WILL be when she gets her fat butt off of me," Ago groaned.

"Oh, so now I'm fat, huh? You're in no position to throw insults," Ali retorted, but only mildly angry.

"Fine. I'm sorry."

"You obviously don't mean that, but it's a start." And with that, Ali stood up, allowing Agu to get to his feet as well. Dusk, Menta, and Ceit caught up with them, and Dusk suggested that they all get some water from a little pool flowing through the plants.

They all bent over and began pleasurably hydrating their bodies. Agu stood back up, wiped his mouth off, and declared, "I'm going for a swim."

Ali's head quickly jolted up. "Agu, wai-" but she was too late. Agu jumped headfirst into the water, but Ali's weight restrained him. His body was halfway under water, and his arms and legs were splashing about, getting water all over the whole group. Ali quickly pulled him out so he could breathe.

"Are you sure this was a good idea?" Menta asked, wiping off her soaked body.

"I am beginning to have my doubts, but let's see if anything more comes of it."

Though no dinosaurs were about, the Sharpteeth dined on a few insects while Ali nibbled on some bushes.

"Ceit, mind looking around to see if we've been followed?" Dusk asked him.

"Not at all, ma lord," he replied, flying high then out of sight.

"I'm going to go on ahead a little bit. I want to make sure the pathway is still around. The ocean was slowing destroying it, and I fear it may be gone entirely now," Dusk explained.

"Mind if I come along?" Menta asked. She did not want Dusk to leave her sight.

"Ooh! I wanna come too! Can I, can I, can I?" Coaley begged.

"Alright, girls, come on," Dusk said with a chuckle, and Menta giggled a bit herself. Coaley had a real knack for livening the mood. The three Sharptooth moved on, leaving Agu and Ali alone.

"Okay, I hate this as much as you do, but we might as well make the most of it," Ali suggested.

"Speak for yourself. There's nothing about this to make anything of. Being stuck to you stinks."

Ali sighed. "You're impossible, you know that?"

"I just hate Long Necks, okay!" Agu suddenly burst out, catching Ali completely by surprise.

Finally finding her voice, she asked simply, "Why?"

"I'm a great hunter. I've caught Spike Tails, Dome Heads, Yellow Bellies, Swimmers, you name it- except a Long Neck. I came really close one time. I was standing on a ledge, a young Long Neck below me. I was careless, so I slipped and fell to the ground. Most kids would have ran in fear at the sight of me. Wanna know what that Long Neck did? He turned and laughed at me. He wasn't scared at all! That made me so mad I just wanted to scream. I'm sure I could have caught him if I hadn't hurt my leg from the fall. I walked home, crying. It was annoying enough that I could never catch one, but to think one would actually stand there and make fun of me. I've hated them ever since."

"Well, I certainly don't hate you," Ali said softly.

Now it was Agu's turn to be caught off guard. "W-what?"

"You may hate Long Necks, but I don't hate you. You're not a bad dinosaur, that I know. You may be short-tempered, whiny, and rude, but I believe you have a good heart."

"Uh… thanks?"

Ali burst out laughing. "Excuse my sense of humor. But seriously, in the time we've been traveling together, I've come to see you like- a little brother."

Agu's eyes widened. "I am an only child," he said. "I've always wanted a sibling, but my parents had always said they had their claws too full with just me. I was so angry at them, that's why I ran away with Dusk after I happened to meet him one day while I was out exploring. Do you really view me as- a sibling?"

"I do."

A small tear formed in Agu's eye, and it slowly streamed down his face Ali smiled, leaned over, and nuzzled gently against his cheek.

"Dusk was wise to stick us together," she said.

"Agreed."

Ali suddenly heard a voice in her head. "Oh no!"

Agu sat up abruptly. "What is it?"

"Dusk, Menta, and Coaley- they're in trouble! Come on!" Ali began to run in the direction the others had taken, but with his much-longer legs, Agu couldn't keep up and starting dragging behind. "Hop on!" Ali instructed, and Agu got on her back as she ran to help her friends.

xxxxx

"Well, here we are," Cera told the group, coming to a halt at the edge of the forest.

Spike let out an excited grunt as the group came into daylight and ran a short distance away.

"What is it, Spike?" Littlefoot asked, coming to his side.

"Oh, lookie," Ducky called from atop his back, and she motioned to the ground. Before the group were three sets of footprints, each going in a different direction.

"Good job, Spike," Littlefoot complimented. Spike gave a cheery grunt.

"Look like more of that Flying Sharptooth's illusions," Petrie pointed out.

"Yeah, no duh," Cera retorted curtly.

Ruby bent over and stuck her hands in one of the prints. She walked over to the second set, then the third. "Hm," she said thoughtfully, hand on her chin. "These illusions don't just look like illusions, they feel like them too. Pressing my hand in each set still felt like it was going down."

"I have an idea!" Chomper exclaimed. The group turned to him. "Remember how that Ali illusion didn't have a scent on it? That Flying Sharptooth assumed we wouldn't notice no odor. I bet if I smell all of these, my sniffer will know just which ones are real."

"Go for it, buddy," Littlefoot encouraged.

Chomper bent over and began sniffing the footprints of all directions. His face brightened, he straightened up, then he said, "Yup. They went this way," as he pointed to his left.

"That's reliable Chomper for you," Ruby said proudly. Chomper beamed.

"Alright guys, let's get moving," Littlefoot instructed. Cera eyed him, but Littlefoot failed to notice and they all began their trek farther into the Mysterious Beyond.

It wasn't long before they grew thirsty, and Littlefoot stopped. "Hey Ducky, think you can make some water for us?"

"I am sorry Littlefoot, I am, I am, but I can only control water, not make it," Ducky admitted sadly.

"Oh, it's okay. Petrie, want to fly up and see if you can find any water nearby?"

"Sure!" And with that, he flew way up high and began to search. He put his wing over his forehead to block out the bright circle, and looked in all directions. "Ah ha!" he said.

"You found water?" Chomper asked, and the whole group grew excited.

"No, me say 'Ah ha' because me found out there no water anywhere nearby at all." He flew back down with a smug expression, proud of how well he did his job of searching. To his surprise, the group glared at him angrily, and he said, "What me do?"

"Never mind, Petrie. Let's just keep following these track and hopefully we'll find some water," Littlefoot said with a sigh.

"Oh uh, okay," he replied, still confused about why the group looked so annoyed.

The winds began to pick up slightly, blowing against the group. They considered it a blessing, as the day was hot. The cool air brushing up against them offered a comfortable reprieve from the blazing wrath of the bright circle. Little did the gang know however, that that breeze would cause more trouble than comfort.

A tall dinosaur turned his head slightly. He sniffed the air a few times, then changed his course. The two smaller dinosaurs who were accompanying him looked up at their leader, and the large one licked his lips. They both grinned, and the three of them hastened their pace towards the scent of meat.


	20. Chapter XIX

**Chapter XIX: Trapped**

In which a lapse of judgment leads to trouble.

Ali was running as fast as she could, with Agu bobbing up and down on her back. Her feet were cooled by the waves of water flowing back and forth along the beach, but she did not notice. The safety of her friends was the only thing on her mind. After a few minutes, Ali heard a voice in her head again.

"Be careful!"

She came to a sudden halt and Agu jutted forward, bumping into the back of her neck.

"Sorry," she told him.

"Why did we stop?

"I think they're close. Menta just warned me to be careful."

Agu dismounted and they both scanned the area, seeing nothing.

Then out of nowhere came a voice. "Ali? Agu? You guys out there?" It was Dusk.

"Where-?" Ali began, but she quickly found where the noise was coming from- a large hole. The two children walked up to a deep pit, one that was filling with water every time a wave came up. Coaley was unconscious, being held by Dusk against his back. The water was nearly up to their faces.

"What happened?" Agu asked curiously.

"No time!" Dusk shouted. "Coaley's out so can't warp us out, and Menta doesn't have the skill to knock us up. The water is nearly to our noses!"

"Agu, use your copy ability," Ali instructed. Agu hesitated in confusion, but she continued, "Trust me."

Agu raised his hand. "Copy!" he shouted, and two more Agu's appeared beside him.

"I'm going to the edge of the hole, then let you hang down inside of it. Our shadows are connected, so you won't fall in. Grab the feet of one of your copies and have that one do the same thing to the other one. We can pull them out that way."

Agu obeyed and there soon formed a chain of dinosaurs reaching down to the captives below.

"Ugh," Agu moaned. "We're not long enough. I can't reach them."

"Can you make more copies?" Ali asked.

"Making two is tiring enough as it is. I don't think I ca-" Then a giant wave splashed over them, nearly knocking Ali in the hole.

"Whoa!" she cried, trying to steady herself. Then she looked in horror to see that that last wave put enough water in the hole that her friends' faces were completely submerged.

"Agu, you have to make more copies right now! We're out of time. You can do it. I know you can!"

Agu tensed his body, shouting "Copy!" but nothing happened.

"I'm just not strong enough," he moaned.

Ali thought fast. "Strength," she said, and began to dance.

Agu's body surged with energy, and he shouted again, "Copy!"

Two additional copies popped out, who in turn climbed down the dinosaur chain, latching onto a copy above them. The lowest one reached down, latching onto one of the trapped dinosaurs. It was Menta, and she climbed up, coughing as she reached the top, upon which she slumped to the ground. Dusk was next, climbing up with one hand, the other clutching Coaley. Dusk set her down, and she slowly opened her eyes.

"Thank you for saving us," Dusk said with a weak smile before he started coughing. "You two made a great team. Unbind!" And with that, the connection between their shadows broke. Dusk was very pleased to see that they didn't move away from each other; they merely gave each other a big grin.

"That was a close one. Good idea though," Menta thought to him.

"True, sorry, and thank you," he mentally said back.

Flash back

"This worked out just as I'd hoped," Dusk told the girls walking beside him.

"Hm?" Coaley asked.

"I had a feeling you two would want to come along, and that those two wouldn't feel like walking being stuck together like that. Now I can put my plan into action. I think for those two to get along, they need to learn to work together, to appreciate each other. We seem far enough away now. Let's start digging."

"My lord?" Menta asked curiously as she joined him.

"We're going to force them to act as a team. After we dig a big enough hole, we're going to jump down and seem like we're trapped. They'll have to work together to get us out." After a few minutes, they had made a large hole and Dusk and Menta jumped down to the bottom. Dusk held up his arms and caught Coaley as she leaped in after them, then set her down.

"But my lord," Menta began, "They know that Coaley can just warp us out."

"Got that figured out already," he replied. Turning to Coaley, he said, "I want you to pretend to be unconscious, okay? We're going to act as if we all fell down here and you hit your head. Promise me not to move or open your eyes until we get out, okay?"

"Promise. Cross my heart."

"Good girl." Then Coaley went limp and she closed her eyes. Dusk caught her before she collapsed and set her down gently. Suddenly, Dusk felt something dripping on his head and looked up. "Uh oh. That pick up in the wind must be moving the waves farther in. We'll be under water if we stay down here. What a waste of time. Coaley, warp us out please. We'll have to dig a new hole farther away." Coaley, however, did not budge.

"My lord, I think she's sticking with her promise," Menta guessed.

"I think you're right. Coaley, you can move now." But Coaley still didn't stir.

"She solemnly swore that she wouldn't move or open her eyes until we are out of the hole. I'm afraid that Coaley is not one for broken promises," Menta explained.

Dusk sighed. "Can you telekinetically push us out?"

"Uh, I'm not sure. I've never tried pushing something from below. Shouldn't be too hard though." Menta closed her eyes then thrust her arm up, then Dusk shot up a small distance and smacked into the wall of the hole.

"Ow," he said painfully.

"Err, I guess it's not as easy as I'd thought."

"Well, we don't have enough time for you to perfect it. Send a message to Ali about our danger. Unlike my original plan, we really do need their help."

End of Flashback

Ali and Agu looked at each proudly, and Dusk grinned at that. "Looks like this whole mess has you two getting along rather well."

Ali winked at Agu, signaling that their earlier chat would remain private. "It sure looks that way," she said with a smile. "But, how did you guys end up in a fix like that anyway?"

"Someone got a teensy bit careless," Menta replied with a cheeky smile.

Dusk cleared his throat. "Anyway, we resolved one problem only to end up with another one. You see that island off in the distance?" and he pointed out across the ocean. The others nodded. "That's where we're going, but it seems that the moving water has finally worn away the land path completely. We'll have to find a new way across."

"I wish I could help," Coaley said sadly. "If only I'd been there before." She slumped down onto a long log lying nearby.

"Don't worry, Coaley. It's alri- Wait, I hadn't noticed that log earlier," and Dusk put a hand on his chin in thought. "You know what, Coaley? It looks like you helped us after all."

She jumped to feet, excited. "Ooh, really? How? How?"

"You just found our means of transportation."

xxxxx

"How much farther?" Cera complained. "I'm tired."

"How am I supposed to know?" Littlefoot replied, getting a bit short.

"You aren't, but Petrie here could fly up and see if we're getting close to anything."

"Oh, right," Littlefoot said, clearly embarrassed for having not thought of that. "Petrie?"

"Me on it." He flew high into the sky and looked around. "Ah ha!" he exclaimed.

This time, none of them grew excited. "Oh well," Littlefoot said with a sigh.

Petrie flew back down excitedly. "Me found something you no believe."

Littlefoot quickly turned to him. "You mean this 'Ah ha' actually meant you saw something?" The others turned as well, curious.

"Mm-hm. Remember that place we all stayed at when valley get overrun by swarming leaf gobblers? Me fly way up high and look where the tracks are going, and they lead to there!"

"Alright!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "Food and water at last!"

"For me too?" Chomper asked.

"You bet, buddy," he answered. "Last time we were here, we found all sorts of bugs."

Chomper licked his chops. With renewed strength, the gang began to run, more than eager to finally fill their bellies. It wasn't long before they arrived, and the group's first order of business was to jump into the water to cool off. Ducky watched the ripples in the water as the gang splashed about, but to her amazement, even after they all got out, the stirring of the water continued. She sat on the edge, looking down at the water curiously. Her friends were happily munching away, but she was too caught up in why the water was still making ripples.

"Hey guys," she began, "Look at the water. Even though we are out of it, it is still moving."

"Aw Ducky, it's just the wind," Cera told her with little interest.

"I do not think so," Ducky replied. "The water is not splashing around like it does when there is a breeze. I've never seen it makes circles like this when no one was in it."

Her friends didn't understand what she was so fascinated about, so they just let her be. Ducky did not give up though. She placed her head to the ground and listened. She heard a slight rumbling. It wasn't constant, but happened every couple seconds. She lifted her head, looking off into the distance in several directions. What finally crossed her line of sight made her scream. The others ran over to her.

"Ducky, what's wrong?" Littlefoot asked quickly.

"It is- it is- Redclaw!" and she pointed to the giant Sharptooth, accompanied by his two Fast Biters companions, Screech and Thud.

"Oh no!" Petrie exclaimed and he started flying away.

"Petrie!" Cera shouted, and he stopped short. "Don't fly away! We don't have to run from guys like them anymore. Now we have the power to fight back. Let's use it!"

"O-okay," Petrie replied nervously.

"We fought that one Sharptooth shortly after we got our powers, Petrie," Ruby pointed out.

"Yeah, but this Redclaw! He meanest Sharptooth around! And he have Screech and Thud too!"

"Do not worry, Petrie. I will not let anything happen to you. Look around us. I can use my power to the fullest here," Ducky said comfortingly.

Petrie began to relax, but quickly tensed up again as Redclaw and his cronies got closer. "Ooh," he moaned, started to cower. The Sharpteeth tromped over to the gang, and the kids tensed for battle. Thud looked down and roared. The ground started to shake, and Littlefoot yelled, "Earthshake!"

"No!" Petrie exclaimed. "The ground not shaking where Redclaw, Screech, and Thud standing!" The children started to lose their balance and fall to the ground. Then Screech roared, and a bolt of lighting erupted from his mouth coming towards Petrie. He quickly let out a sharp gust of wind and shot back, narrowly escaping the blast.

The children's eyes widened. "Redclaw and his Fast Biters have powers too!" Littlefoot shouted.

"But how?" Cera asked.

"Dusk has the stone, and he came this way too. Redclaw and his Fast Biters must have been absorbing the energy as they followed us," Ruby concluded.

"Just great," Cera said.

"You've always managed to escape us in the past, but now, you shall meet your end," Redclaw told them.


	21. Chapter XX

**Chapter XX: Battle of Body, Battle of Mind**

In which a battle begins with power and ends with wits.

"Redclaw's talking to us!" Ducky exclaimed.

"Then maybe they'll listen to reason," Littlefoot said. Turning to the three of them, he said, "We don't want to fight you. Leave now, and you won't get hurt." The three Sharpteeth looked at each for a moment, then burst out laughing.

"Har har," Screech said. "Pity we couldn't understand you earlier. We'd've gotten plenty of laughs."

"Ain't that the truth, brother?" Thud asked.

"If you won't leave, then we have no choice. Ready guys?" They all nodded. "Light, shine within my heart!"

The Sharpteeth were caught off guard by the brilliant flare, so were dazed for a moment. The children took advantage of that and charged. Spike ran right for Screech and quickly hardened his body. The impact sent the Fast Biter sailing back, and he landed on his rear.

Thud opened his mouth again, roaring loudly, and the ground beneath the gang's feet began to tremble. Before losing her footing, Ruby also roared, and the earth shook below the Sharpteeth's feet as well.

"Be careful with your power!" Redclaw bellowed.

"Sorry!" Thud apologized, also thinking it was him that caused the second quake.

Cera looked at a tree and it lifted off the ground and flung towards Redclaw's face. The giant Sharptooth batted it away, but Petrie called forth a strong wind and it blew it back hard, smashing against his face this time. He roared in pain.

Cera grinned and shouted, "Way to go, Petrie!" Petrie smiled back, but a bolt of lightning struck him and he plummeted to ground. Littlefoot ran forward at an incredible speed and caught him. "Is he dead!" Cera shrieked.

"Nay," Littlefoot answered. "Lightning formed by magic is far less potent than that of the sky. He is but dazed. I will began healing his wound." Then Littlefoot held his front foot over Petrie, and the blast mark started to fade.

"I wish we had not ran towards them, I do, I do. We aren't close enough to the water anymore," Ducky thought desperately, struggling to control the water of the ocean behind them.

Screech shot another lightning bolt at Spike. He hardened his body, but the blast shocked him hard, and he fell to the ground. "Spike!" Ducky screamed.

"Heh heh heh. Looks like that hard body doesn't protect against lightning," Screech said with a grin.

Ducky glared at him defiantly, but was powerless where she stood. Screech shot another bolt at her, and she jumped out of the way and began to run, Screech at her heels.

Thud opened his mouth to create another tremor, but stopped when his feet came out from under him. Chomper had him by the tail, and he lifted him up and began swinging him around. He was about to let him loose and send him flailing threw the air, but Thud got a roar out and Chomper lost his balance and fell. Thud was about to grab him when another quake made him fall back down. He looked around in confusion, eyeing Ruby.

"You can shake the ground shake too?" he asked her.

"Let's just say, anything you can do, I can do," she replied, running over to help Chomper to his feet.

Redclaw finally recovered from the blow to his face, and looked down at the children below. "Let's see how they like MY power," he thought to himself. Petrie finally opened his eyes, and flew up into the air.

"Thou hast made a nice recovery," Littlefoot said. Petrie said nothing, but instead flapped his wings, and Littlefoot was knocked back a great distance.

"Petrie?" he asked. Then he noticed a flock of trees flying right at him and he shouted, "Intervention!" just in time to make a protective field around him. "Cera? Why are you two attacking me?"

Redclaw let out a hearty laugh. "They can't hear you now. They do as I tell them?"

"What!"

"Let me tell you about my ability. It's the power of command. I can tell any two dinosaurs to do my bidding, and they obey without question. Now I'll have the pleasure of watching you beaten to a pulp by your own friends."

Screech finally caught up to Ducky, but right before he caught her, she stopped and turned to him. "Heh heh heh, giving up, are we? A wise choice. You stood no chance against me."

"Oh, you are wrong, you are, you are. I did not give up," she told him.

Screech crossed his arms, waiting to see what she'd do, but things suddenly grew dark, like he was under a large shadow. He looked up to see a giant wave coming right at him. He quickly turned to run but the wave slammed into him, carrying him back up the shore. The wave stopped moving, showing Ducky standing on top. It hardened into a giant wall of ice, and icicles began firing out of it, grazing Screech in several areas of his body. He ran back, clutching his arm, which had taken the biggest hit.

Thud opened his mouth to roar again, but this time, faced Ruby, not the ground. She felt a great force on her body, and she slid back a small distance.

Ruby!" Chomper shouted.

"I thought your power was making earthshakes," Ruby said, staggering to her feet.

"And I thought we had the same power," Thud replied, confused that she didn't know. "But whatever. No, while my brother controls the power of lightning, I wield the force of thunder. I can shake the ground, or cause direct shockwaves."

"Nice to know," Ruby replied. She roared like he had, facing him, and he was knocked back to the ground like she had been.

"Ugh, do we have the same power or don't we? This is so confusing!" he yelled.

"Since you shared, so will I. I can copy any power I see in action, I just don't get the understanding along with it."

"Just what I need," he muttered.

"Shouldn't keep letting down your guard," Chomper said. Thud whirled around, but too late to see Chomper swing the tree that had hit Redclaw into his body. The blow was hard enough to stun him, and he fell to the ground. Screech caught up, and fell to his knees beside his brother, aching all over from his gashes.

"You two are worthless!" Redclaw shouted. He turned to see how his handiwork was doing, and he was pleased. Littlefoot was running out of energy, dodging and blocking so many attacks.

"Unh," Littlefoot moaned. "Not enough strength left for any more barriers." Spike came to, got his feet, and trudged over to Littlefoot. He stood in front of him and stopped. "Spike, nay!" he exclaimed. "Thou art still too weak to block more forthcoming blows!" Spike ignored him, and hardened his body. "Spike…" Littlefoot said with much emotion. Spike was a true friend through and through. He knew as well that he didn't have much strength, but that did not stop him.

Cera hurled another large tree at Littlefoot, and Petrie boosted its speed with a gust of wind. Spike knew this may kill him, but he would not budge. A second gust of wind blew the tree away, and Chomper caught it.

"Nice aim, Ruby."

"Thank you for the thank you."

"Friends, be on thy guard! That knave can command others to do his bidding!"

Redclaw uttered a confident, "Heh."

Cera and Petrie were huffing hard. Cera lifted a tree, but it only plopped back down, and the blast Petrie called forth was nothing more than a gentle breeze. Ducky finally caught back up with the others, and she looked at the situation in confusion.

Ruby's eyes widened. "Looks like controlling dinosaurs really wears them out," she called up to him. "I guess you'll be controlling two more of us now." Then she began to sob. "Please, control me for one. I can't stand seeing my friends taken over like that. It's terrifying. Please!"

Redclaw let out a laugh. "So, my power frightens you, does it? I like to see fear in my enemies. I'll make sure you get to watch again. Attack them," he commanded to Spike and Chomper.

Before they could land a strike, Ruby shouted, "Now tell them to stop!" and Redclaw did so. "Now, release your hold over them," and Spike and Chomper started blinking their eyes, coming back to their senses.

"What- what just transpired?" Littlefoot asked.

"I knew Redclaw wouldn't control me if he knew seeing his power frightened me, so I put on a little act. Then I watched Redclaw use his power, then copied it to use myself. Now Redclaw is under my control."

Screech and Thud began dragging themselves over, so Ruby quickly motioned for Redclaw to bend down, and she whispered in his ear. The Fast Biters finally reached them.

"Wow, it looks like you have them all under your command," Screech said.

"Wow is right. I thought you could only control two," Thud added.

"I know! He must have learned to control more and forgot to mention it."

"Neat! Nice going, boss!"

"I never want to see you two again," Redclaw told them.

The two Fast Biters froze. "C- come again?" Screech asked, dumbfounded.

"You two are worthless. You didn't help me capture these children at all. Our partnership is over."

"Y- you can't mean that," Thud stammered.

"I do, and if I ever see you two again, I'll eat you myself." And with that, Redclaw let loose a terrifying roar, the two Fast Biters yelled, "Yipe!" and ran far away, as fast as their legs could carry them.

The gang all cheered for Ruby, but she was not done yet. "Tell me, Redclaw, does your power have a limit besides just controlling two dinosaurs?"

"Yes. If the dinosaur or dinosaurs go farther than my eye can see, the control breaks."

"Good to know. I want you to walk that way," Ruby ordered, pointing in the direction they had all come from. She said to her friends, "By the time he is out of range, we'll be safely away from him. Oh wait!" she ordered, quickly turning back to the Sharptooth who'd just halted. "I've wondered something. That red mark from your eye down to your claw. Was it done by a fire-wielding Rainbow Face?" Her friends looked at her curiously.

"Yes," he replied.

"Okay, do as I told you earlier," she said, and Redclaw began walking away.

"What that question about?" Petrie asked.

"Remember when those Rainbow Faces said that the one who stole the stone burned a Sharptooth? Ever since, I've just wondered if it was him. Now I know."

"Oh yeah! I remember Rey and Reina mention that, but I hadn't thought about Redclaw. Nice, now we all know where he got the mark that gave him that nickname. I've wondered where that scar came from," Cera told them.

"Release!" Littlefoot said, and he changed back to normal. "So uh, I guess we beat Redclaw?" As usual, he had no recollection of what he did while transformed.

"Ruby took care of it," Chomper said with a smile.

"Well then, great job, Ruby."

"Why thank you."

"What should we do now?" Ducky asked.

"I know what I want to do," Cera said. "REST!" And she plopped down onto the ground, and the whole group laughed.

"After whatever happened with Redclaw, we could use a break. I'm tired too," Littlefoot admitted. Everyone sat down, saying nothing. They were too worn out to speak. It wasn't long though, before Littlefoot got up. "Okay guys, I know that that wasn't very long, but if we wait too much longer, who knows how far ahead Dusk will get. Let's walk a bit more before calling it a day."

The group gingerly got to their feet and pressed forward, following the prints left by Dusk's group. Finally, the tracks stopped. There was a long line in the sand, as if something was dragged to the water. All of them besides Chomper and Ruby exchanged glances.

"It looks like they got on a log to cross the water…" Littlefoot trailed off.

"Oh yes, I remember riding a log once. They float very well," Ruby said.

"You sounded odd, Littlefoot. Is something wrong?" Chomper asked him.

"The only place around to ride to is- your home, Chomper," Littlefoot explained.

Chomper gasped. "I've been so caught up with everything that's been going on, I wasn't even thinking about where we are! You're right. We're just across from where my parents live."

"Oh my, that's true! I've only been around here once, so I'd completely forgotten. I wonder why Dusk would go to Chomper's island," Ruby said thoughtfully.

"I don't know, but we'll find out. And I get to see my parents again. I can't wait," Chomper said excitedly.

"Wait a minute. Remember what happened last time we road on a log over here? We may have power now, but the big water still doesn't agree with me," Cera told them.

"Yeah, I don't want to end up in a battle in the big water either," Littlefoot admitted.

"Do not worry about how to get across," Ducky said with a smile. The others turned to her. She raised her arms, and a line of water arose from the ocean. It took the shape of a bridge from where they were standing all the way over to the island. It suddenly froze to ice, and Ducky relaxed.

"Nice work!" Littlefoot exclaimed.

"Thank you," she replied.

The group (minus Petrie) began walking over the ice path Ducky had made. The Swimming Sharpteeth below looked up at the prospect of dinner, but they knew they couldn't leap that high. Nonetheless, they began swimming below the bridge, following the children from underneath the water. Ducky stuck her tongue out at them, and her friends all laughed. The heat of the day took no rest, but the kids continued on without stopping.

Chomper's excitement about seeing his parents again had not died down. As a result, he did not notice what the bright circle was doing to the bridge. Tiny puddles were forming on top of it, and the others simply began walking more carefully. Chomper on the other hand, kept up his brisk pace. It was too late before he realized he was slipping. He slid right off the bridge, and a Swimming Sharptooth leapt into the air and caught him in his mouth. Ducky and Ruby screamed. Before anyone could take action, the beast dove underwater and swam away hurriedly.


	22. Chapter XXI

**Chapter XXI: Generous, yet Selfish**

In which Dusk tries again to give and take.

"So Dusky, how're you gonna find your friends?" Coaley asked.

"I'm not," Dusk replied a smug expression, turning to Ceit.

The Flying Sharptooth sighed. "Very well, ma lord," he said, taking to the skies.

"Are we just going to sit around while he looks?" Agu asked.

"We could use a break after traveling so far," Dusk pointed out.

"Aw, I'm not tired; I'm bored."

"Why don't you go exploring then?" Menta suggested.

"Good idea, but don't go too far," Dusk instructed.

"Can I go too please?" Coaley asked.

"I don't know, can you?" Agu joked, starting to laugh.

Coaley sighed. "_May_ I go too please?"

"Of course. Have fun you two, but stay together," Dusk told them.

"Do we have to hold hands too?" Agu asked sarcastically. Dusk gave him a look which made him shiver, and the two kids ran off together.

"Mind if I take a nap somewhere on the beach?" Ali asked.

"By all means," Dusk replied. Ali walked a ways away and lay down to get some rest, leaving Dusk and Menta alone.

"I'm not questioning your actions, just trying understand them. Why are we looking for these friends of yours?" Menta asked.

"Well, I am curious how they and their son are doing."

xxxxx

"Agu!" Coaley huffed, "Please so slow down!"

"Forget it! I can't have fun exploring when I have to tag along with someone. Copy!" Two more Agus entered the scene, and they all ran in different directions. "Betcha don't know which one is the real me!"

Coaley did not even guess. She came to a sudden halt, panting as all three Agus disappeared into the trees. "I hope he doesn't get himself hurt," she thought to herself.

She walked along the edge of the beach. The coolness of the small waves brushing against her feet felt so good. She then turned to the ocean hearing splashing nearby. A Swimming Sharptooth was splashing about, and his head was shaking violently. Finally, it spit something out into the water. She squinted her eyes against the bright circle, and she saw that it was a little Sharptooth! He wasn't that far from the island, and he was unconscious. She quickly swam out to him, clutching his neck and holding his head above the water. "Warp!" she said, and immediately returned to dry land. She then set him down, sprawled across the sand.

"Wait!" she exclaimed. "It's Chomper!" She knelt down, resting his head on her lap. The young, male Sharptooth soon started moving his head around, and he slowly opened his eyes. "Thank goodness, he's alright," she thought to herself. "And he's even cuter up close."

"What- where am I?" he asked drowsily.

"On an island, safe and sound," she told him. Chomper quickly sat up.

"Who're- wait, I know you! You're one of those mean Sharpteeth with Dusk!" He tensed, expecting her to attack him, but she only looked at his behavior curiously.

"None of the Sharpteeth with Dusk are mean. Not even Agu. Well, maybe he's a little mean, but I know he has a good heart. At least, I hope so. By the way, the name's Coaley."

Now it was Chomper's turn to look out of sorts. She was talking to him as if they good friends. She didn't seem at all riled that he, one of Littlefoot's group, was standing before her. He tried to remember how he got separated. "Where did you find me?" he asked her.

"I saw you get thrown out of a Swimming Sharptooth's mouth, not too far from the island. I went out and brought you back."

"Why would someone from Dusk's group save me?" he asked with a guarded tone.

Coaley looked at him, tilted her head to the side, and frowned. "Why do you keep talking as if we're bad? You're hurting my feelings."

Chomper walked over and sat down beside her. "I'm sorry," he told her. "I'm just confused. Dusk has done some bad things, so I just don't know what to think of him."

Coaley looked out over the waters, as if in contemplating. "If your mommy was starving, and the only meat around belonged to someone else, would you take it?"

"Of course! I'm not gonna let my mom go hungry!"

"But Chomper, stealing is wrong." Chomper froze at her words. "Sometimes, when trying to do something good, bad things may happen. Dusk's heart is for all of us Sharpteeth. He is fighting for our kind, Chomper."

"What do you mean?" he asked her. "What is Dusk trying to accomplish?"

Coaley's body suddenly flew back into a tree, dazing her.

"Coaley!" Chomper shouted, quickly got to his feet and rushing to her side.

"Whew, that close," Petrie said. "One of Dusk's friends nearly get you, Chomper." The rest of Chomper's friends caught up with them.

"Chomper, are you alright?" Littlefoot asked him.

Chomper, however, was too angry to pay that question any heed. "Petrie! Coaley wasn't going to get me! She saved me, and you attacked her!"

"M- me sorry," he stammered. "Me- not know."

"One of Dusk's group saved you? That is more unusual than usual," Ruby said.

Coaley started coming to. "Ungh." Chomper helped her sit up. She looked around at his friends, and deduced what had happened. "Chomper," she said quietly. "Dusk is doing no different than what your friend just did." Her words stunned him as they sank in. "I hope to see you again." She then leaned forward and licked his cheek. "Warp." And just like that, she was gone.

xxxxx

"Ugh, I try to eat one, and they all go crazy. Why did I have to leave her behind? Her warp power would be SO useful right now," Agu said dejectedly as he ran from a swarm of buzzing buzzers. "Copy!" A single replica of Agu popped out and ran to the army of insects. They stung it all over and it vanished. Agu turned back to see if that had thrown them off, but they were still coming. "Come on!" he exclaimed in frustration. "Coaley!"

"You called?" she asked, standing before him with a grin and her arms folded.

"Phew, I'm saved. Quick, can you warp us out of here?"

"I don't know, can I?" she wondered aloud with a smug expression.

"Okay okay, I'm sorry about making fun of you earlier. Now hurry up! Ah!"

The swarm was just about to engulf him when Coaley said "Warp," and they were gone, back with Dusk and Menta.

Dusk looked at the two Sharpteeth and raised a brow. Coaley was rubbing her back and Agu was breathing very hard. "Have a little excitement, did we?"

"Yeah," they both said at once in a low tone. The group then quickly turned as they heard loud stomping coming from deeper in the island.

"It seems that Ceit was successful," Dusk commented.

"That I was, ma lord," he told him, landing nearby. "I gave them a brief explanation as to why you won't be as- recognizable."

"Good work."

"Thank you."

Two giant Sharpteeth emerged from the island's foliage and stood before the group. The male lowered his head to Dusk's height.

"Wow. If I hadn't seen you with my own eyes, I'd've never believed it," he said to Dusk.

"Yes. It is the unfortunate side effect of having such power," Dusk responded.

The female laughed and said, "You're kinda cute like that."

Dusk made a crooked smile and rolled his eyes, and her mate gave her a bemused look.

"We haven't see you in a while either, Menta," Chomper's mother told her. "How have you been?"

"Oh, alright. Yourself?"

"Both me and my husband have been doing well, thank you."

"How many of you aren't how you look?" Chomper's father asked them.

"Besides Menta and I, just Ceit, the one who found you two. Now," Dusk continued, clearing his throat, "I would like to speak to you two- alone, please." His companions exchanged glances. "Coaley, would you be so kind as to take everyone off the island for a few minutes?"

"Okey dokey Dusky."

Coaley was about to warp them away, but Menta whispered in her thoughts, "Just take us a short ways away. If we're caught, I'll make sure the blame is on me. It is very important that you do this."

"Warp!" Coaley said, and the whole group vanished- not far from where Dusk and the two Sharpteeth stood. The group hid behind some bushes, eavesdropping on the conversation.

"How's that boy of yours?" Dusk asked them.

"He's growing into a fine, young Sharptooth," the male answered. "Although, he has a very unusual choice of friends."

"I haven't seen him since he was just a hatchling. In fact, you hadn't even named him yet. If I may, what exactly is unusual about his friends?" Dusk reached down and grabbed a large beetle, munching on it hungrily.

"He made friends with Leaf Eaters," he replied.

Dusk started to choke on the insect. Pounding on his chest, he managed to swallow.

"I was expecting a reaction like that," the female said with a laugh.

"The boy- what did you name him?"

"Chomper," his father told him.

Dusk was dumbfounded. What he meant to be simple chit-chat before his main point ended up becoming a revelation. He quickly regained his composure and said, "That's a nice name."

"Thank you," Chomper's father replied. "Now Dusk, I know you came here to do more than ask about our child. You have a way of easing into serious issues, but we're good friends, so there's really no need to warm us up. What's on your mind?"

"Aren't you worn out from fighting Flatteeth for food all the time?" Dusk asked them.

The two adults looked at each in surprise. "What do you mean by that?" Chomper's mother asked. "We're not _that_ old."

"No no, sorry, that's not what I meant," Dusk said quickly. "What I mean is, are you tired of meals always having to be a chore? Wouldn't you like to just relax and eat whenever with no hassle?"

"Of course," Chomper's father replied. "What Sharptooth wouldn't?"

"Ceit explained the stone's power to you, I presume?"

"Well," the male began, "He said that it grants special abilities."

"Good. He was wise to leave the other part to me. This stone," Dusk told them, holding it out in front of him, "Will grant someone a single wish, provided four others wish for the same thing at the same time. I need your help in making a wish. I want all Sharptooth kind to be able to live off of green food like Leaf Eaters. No more needless tussles and food available all over."

The two adults grew silent in thought for a time. "An intriguing proposition," the male finally said.. "Our son would grow up in a peaceful world. He's so gentle. I've worried that he wouldn't be successful when the time came for him to hunt. I like the idea."

"I do too. But I don't understand something. I saw four others with you- three Sharpteeth and a flying one. What do you need us for?" the female asked.

"A few of my companions aren't fond of me making that wish, so I don't have enough to do so."

"What don't they like? They love hunting their meals that much?" the female wondered aloud.

"That's not it!" Menta shouted, coming from behind the bush. "Dusk hasn't told you everything. Tell them, my lord. Tell them what must happen to one of the dinosaurs who make the wish."

"Menta…"

"Well, Dusk, what happens?" the male asked.

"For the wish to come true, one of the wishers must give up his or her life. I've already established that I'd give up my own."

"Dusk, I can't believe you!" the female exclaimed. "You're being generous and selfish at the same time."

Dusk raised a brow.

She continued, "You have friends that really care about you, friends who can't bear the thought of seeing you die, and that includes us. While giving to the world, you're taking away from those close to you. My husband and I would never help you do such a thing."

"I am being generous to them as well!" Dusk retorted indignantly. "I am giving them a better life to live."

"No life without you, my lord, could I ever call a better one," Menta told him, lowering her head.

Dusk was furious that Menta had interfered, having come so close, but he veiled his emotions. "I am sorry for causing you distress," he told her. "There's nothing more for us to do here. We're leaving."

"You really have to go so soon?" the male asked him. "We haven't seen each other in a long time. I'd like to catch up."

"I'm sorry, but we must be going. Nice seeing you two again."

"Dusk…" the female said sadly.

Dusk turned his back on the two parents and started walking to where Ali was resting. His companions followed. Chomper's parents watched Dusk leave with a heavy heart. They could see that he was upset, much as he tried to hide it, and they didn't want this visit, the first one in a long time, ending on such unhappy terms.

"Would you at least consider spending the night?" the male asked him.

Dusk stopped, half turned, and looking him right in the eyes said, "No. And if anyone asks about why I was here, tell them nothing." The two adults nodded.

The group met up with Ali, and Dusk gently woke her, saying it was time for them to go. "Coaley?" Dusk asked.

"Uh, where to?" she asked back.

"Anywhere but here."

"Oh. Okay. Let's see... Warp!"


	23. Chapter XXII

**Chapter XXII: The Secret of Maturity**

In which Littlefoot and his friends learn that some foes aren't as they seem.

"That doesn't make any sense," Cera pointed out. "Why would one of Dusk's group save one of us?"

Chomper, who was still holding his cheek and blushing, said, "I don't think they're really bad dinosaurs."

"I think you're still dizzy from being nearly swallowed by that Swimming Sharptooth," Cera said flatly. "Rey said that the world will suffer if Dusk gets his wish. Did that super sniffer of yours smell good that none us can?"

"Maybe he did, Cera," Ducky stated, entering the conversation. "Don't you remember Pterano? He did bad things, but he thought he was doing what was right."

"Exactly. But just because someone thinks they're doing right, doesn't mean they are. If I hurt Littlefoot, believing it would help him, are you still going to call that good? I don't care what Dusk's intentions are. He is causing harm and will keep causing harm until we put a stop to him," Cera concluded.

"Rarely as it happens, I must agree with Cera. We have to stop Dusk at all costs," Littlefoot declared.

"Whatever we do, leave Coaley alone," Chomper told them.

"You mean that little Sharptooth who saved you?" Ruby asked.

"Yeah."

Cera snorted. "If she attacks us with the rest of them, I will defend myself."

"No, you won't," Chomper said defensively, clenching his teeth.

"Easy you two. Our enemy is Dusk, not each other," Littlefoot reasoned. "Now let's see if we can find them. I don't see any footprints. Cera?"

"On it," she replied. She closed her eyes, then opened them saying, "They're- they're not here."

"What? But their tracks led right to the water's edge," Littlefoot said in a worried tone. "We can't let Dusk get too far ahead."

"Dusk was here, but he left a little while ago," a female's voice rang out. The group turned to see Chomper's mother standing beside them.

Chomper rushed forward, hugging her foot, and she lifted him up. "I'm so glad to see you again," he told her.

"You aren't surprised that you can understand us?" Ruby wondered aloud. "Dusk MUST have been here to explain then."

"So you saw Dusk here? What did he want? Do you know him?" Littlefoot inquired.

A loud, rhythmic crashing started to draw near, and a male Sharptooth emerged from the woods. "Know him? Dusk and us two are old friends. And yep, his flying friend did mention that the stone's power makes universal speech possible."

"Dad!" Chomper squealed with delight, and his father came forward and nuzzled against his face.

"Wait, how can you be old friends with him? He's our age," Cera pointed out.

"You're friends of Dusk and didn't know?" Chomper's mother asked in surprise.

"We never said we were friends of Dusk, and what don't we know that we need to know?" Ruby asked her.

"Well, since you aren't shocked that we can understand each other and therefore must have power, I take it you at least know of the stone of cold fire?" Chomper's father asked them.

"Yes," Littlefoot replied.

"Well, not even Dusk knows why, but when he and some of his friends got the power of the stone, they became young again. Dusk, Menta, and that Flying Sharptooth Ceit are all adults in kid bodies," Chomper's father explained.

xxxxx

"Hey, I think I understand what Dusk meant a while back," the child cut in.

"Hm?"

"Remember when Dusk said, 'I know I lost a lot of weight, but only half my strength is gone?' Well, I've been wondering what he was saying back then for a while now. Now it makes sense. Since he's in a kid form again, he lost tons of weight, but he is still half as strong as he was as an adult. Did I make the right connection?"

His father was impressed. He'd nearly forgotten reading that, having been said so many pages ago. "You sure did." The boy crossed his arms and looked very proud, so his father laughed then continued.

xxxxx

"Wow, that is amazing, amazing that is," Ruby said, being the first to get over the shock.

"I have to admit, Dusk did seem a lot more mature than a child," Littlefoot said. "Now it all makes sense."

"Wait, why you two no get young?" Petrie asked Chomper's parents.

"Oh, Dusk didn't stick around very long. We didn't get any power," she replied.

"Would sure have been nice to though. I'd've loved to have had the energy I had as a kid," he added.

"Aw dad, you're not that old," Chomper told him. He smiled in return.

"But anyway, if you're not friends of his, why are you looking for him?" she asked them.

"Dusk is going to cause big trouble if he gets a wish from that stone. We have to stop him," Littlefoot told them.

"Trouble as in…?" she asked, confused.

"We're not sure, but we know it's really bad," Littlefoot continued, though realizing how silly that sounded.

"Do you know what he plans to wish for, Chomper's mom?" Ducky asked her.

"Yes, but, we were asked to not say anything. And as we said, Dusk is an old friend," he said to the kids. "I can tell you though, the only trouble there'd be from his wish is some sad friends."

"That can't be right!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "The whole world will be in danger if he gets what he wants."

"Maybe he lied about his wish to you?" Cera suggested.

"No, if you'd been here, you'd have clearly seen the sincerity of the situation. We don't want Dusk making that wish anymore than you do, but it's his life, his to do with as he pleases. We just didn't want any part of it," the father said.

"Huh? What about his life?" Littlefoot asked.

"You certainly don't know a whole lot, do you?" he asked with a laugh. "To make the wish work, someone has to give up his or her life. Dusk already agreed that he'd give up his own."

"Dear, you're telling them an awful lot. He asked us to say nothing about why he was here."

"And I haven't said a word about what brought him here, sweetheart."

"What wish could someone possibly want that they couldn't even enjoy?" Ruby wanted to know.

"Dusk has a generous heart, but she is right. We are saying a bit too much. Now, it is getting late. Would you all like to stay the night here?"

"No, we have to stay on Dusk's trail. Our mission is to stop him, and stop him we must," Littlefoot declared.

"But Littlefoot, we're tired, and we have no idea where they went this time. We need some rest," Cera complained. "We can try to figure out how to find him in the morning."

"Fine," he replied.

"Anyone want a bite to eat?" she asked them.

"Uh, no, we're good, really," Littlefoot answered, not wanting to think about Sharptooth snacks. And with that, the small band of Flatteeth and a Sharptooth followed Chomper's parents to their nesting area.

xxxxx

"Are you angry with me, my lord?" Menta asked him.

"No," he replied, but before she could breathe a sigh of relief, he added, "Furious." Her heart sank. "You oppose me at every turn. I should have made you leave us long ago, after that stone-stealing stunt you pulled earlier."

"My lord, if I may be so bold as to speak, I am doing everything for your sake."

"If one must die to save many, so be it."

"No!" she exclaimed, but she grew silent after he gave her a chilling glare.

"If you try one more thing, you're gone. I want nothing to do with a team member that isn't a team player. Are we understood?"

"Yes, my lord. Completely."

"Good. Now, Coaley, why exactly did you take us back to the Great Valley?" Dusk asked, as the group all stood atop the wall bordering Littlefoot and the others' home.

"Sorry, Dusky, I just couldn't think of anywhere else."

"It's alright, no big deal. Might as well make the most of it though. Besides, there really isn't any specific place I wish to be. Ceit?"

"On it, ma lord." It wasn't long before all of them, including Ali, resembled Three Horns. Ceit looked like a baby Three Horn and hopped on Dusk's back.

"Why this type?" Dusk asked, as they climbed to the bottom.

"Well, there is a rather uncanny fellow in this abode, and I am hoping that by taking on his kind, he won't be quite so gruff should we run into him again."

"You kids! What are you doing up, chattering away at this hour?" a familiar voice rang out.

"Or not," Ceit said with a mental sigh.

"My apologies," Dusk told Mr. Three Horn. "We'll head to sleep right now. Sorry for disturbing you."

"I don't recall seeing any of you around here. Where exactly do you stay?" he asked them.

"None of your business," Agu wanted to say, but he refrained.

"We are visiting so don't have a place set up yet," Dusk answered.

"Where are your parents?"

"Not here," Dusk replied.

"I see. Well then-" The group braced themselves for a harsh comment. "You can stay with me."

The group looked up to him in surprise. "Don't act so shocked," he said with a chuckle. "We Three Horns look after each other."

"Excellent job, Ceit," Dusk thought to himself. The group followed Mr. Three Horn back to his nest, finding two females, an adult and a child. "Don't make any noise. They are resting now," he told them. However, Mr. Three Horn had made so much racket on his way over, Tria was now awake.

"Who are they, Topsy?" she asked him, smiling at the kids.

"Oh, just some kids visiting who didn't bring their parents. Thought they could stay with us."

"That's so sweet of you, but shouldn't you have asked why their parents aren't around?" Tria pressed him.

"Oh, well uh, I- that is to say-"

"Relax, Topsy. So kids, where exactly are your parents?" Tria asked them.

Dusk and his companions looked at each other. Most of their parents were dead. Ali's memory of hers was sealed, and Agu had ran away from his.

Dusk simply said, "Dead. We're on our own."

Both Topsy and Tria looked at them in shock. Before they could ask anymore questions though, Coaley yawned and said, "I'm sleepy. Can we just go to bed now?" Dusk silently thanked her.

"Fine, we can sort this out further in the morning," Topsy told them. The "Three Horns" curled up near the nice family and they all soon fell asleep.


	24. Chapter XXIII

**Chapter XXIII: The Day Rocks and a Log Flew**

In which many things make their way into the Great Valley.

Dusk's body lied motionless on the ground. Menta was wailing uncontrollably with no end in sight. After a while, she started sniffing involuntarily and began wiping her eyes. She donned a very serious expression and walked over to the edge of a cliff. She turned back with one last sorrowful look at Dusk's corpse- then jumped off to her death. Dusk sat up with a start. He began panting and quickly looked to where Menta was sleeping.

"Just- just a dream," he whispered to himself. He got up and went over to a watering hole; he felt so hot. The noise woke Tria who silently got up and followed him. As Dusk was bending over for a drink, he noticed her reflection in the water.

"Sorry if I woke you," he told her.

"It's no trouble at all," she replied, then continued, "Have a bad dream?"

"Yes…" he said quietly.

"Do you want to talk about it?"

Dusk remained silent.

"Is it about your parents? Lots of dinosaurs have nightmares about lost loved ones."

"No, it wasn't about my parents, but it did show someone I care about die."

"You've lost someone besides your parents?"

"No," was all he said in reply.

"Are you worried that someone may die soon?" she asked gently.

Dusk twitched. "She is so intuitive," he thought to himself. "I had a dream that I died, and then someone close to me killed herself from grief."

"You're worried that you'll die soon? You're so young; you have your whole life ahead of you."

Tria was so caring, it almost made Dusk want to tell her the whole story, but he wisely refrained.

"Let's just say, I live life dangerously. I guess that's hard to imagine with someone so young."

"You'd be surprised how well I understand that," she replied. "I have a stepdaughter who ends up in one adventure after the other. I worry often, but I've learned to trust her. In fact, she's off somewhere right now. I would look for her, but neither Topsy nor myself knows where she went, so all we can do is have faith."

"So she left the valley all be herself? The outside is very dangerous."

"No, she has several friends with her. The other families reported their kids missing too, so we know they're traveling as a group. And yes, it is dangerous, but there is nothing we can do."

Dusk's eyes narrowed. "Other Three Horns?" he asked her.

"You'd think that, but Cera actually spends her times with an entire assortment of kinds: a Long Neck, Swimmer, even a Sharptooth."

"What a small world this is," Dusk thought to himself. "I meet two of their families in one day." He wanted to reassure her, so he said, "I saw your daughter on the way over here."

Tria's eyes widened. "You did? Where?"

"They went to see Chomper's parents. I happened to be in that area myself."

"Phew, that's a relief. Cera had told me how nice they are. Now I understand why she didn't say anything." Dusk raised a brow. "Topsy never would have allowed her to visit a family of Sharpteeth," she said with a laugh. "He's old fashioned, but I love him."

"I'd best get back to sleep," Dusk said with a yawn. "Nice talking to you."

"You too. And if you ever need to talk about something, I'm all ears, okay?" She nuzzled her face gently against his, and he pressed back with a smile. The two dinosaurs then went back to the others, curled up, and slept till daylight.

xxxxx

Cera was the first to wake up, and upon opening her eyes, she was greeted by a giant, wide-open Sharptooth mouth. She screamed, and others quickly stirred.

"What is it, Cera?" Littlefoot asked her right away.

Cera, who had finally remembered that she was sleeping with Chomper's parents, lied in embarrassment, "Nothing, just had a bad sleep story."

"Ooh, what it about?" Petrie asked, insensitively.

"None of your business. Hmph!"

"Uh, sorry?"

"Alright, now that we're up, I suggest we get some food then plan out what we're going to do next," Littlefoot instructed.

"Hey Chomper, would you like me to rustle up some food for you?" his father asked him.

"Sur- uh, I think I'm good," he replied, nudging his head in his friends' direction.

"Oh, right," he said quietly.

"You can come with us, buddy," Littlefoot told him. "I'm sure we'll find some bugs on the way."

Chomper licked his lips and followed his friends to a very fertile part of the island.

"You sure learned this place fast," Chomper had to say.

"Actually, I just remember this spot from when we walked to your parents' nesting area last night. A place this big would take a while for me to memorize," Littlefoot explained.

"Oh, right," Chomper said, slightly embarrassed.

In a few minutes, all of the children had found food and were happily munching away. Soon, a buzzing sound caught Chomper's attention. Chomper ran towards it, and his friends looked up at him with little interest. In less than minute however, they would be very interested…

Chomper burst through the trees, shouting, "Run!" His friends looked up again to see him being chased by a swarm of buzzing buzzers.

"You just had to go and disturb their nest, didn't you?" Cera asked, greatly annoyed.

"Wait, we don't need to run," Littlefoot suddenly thought to himself. Stopping and turning, he said, "Light, shine within my heart!" There was a brief flash, and Littlefoot's skin shone brightly. "Intervention!" he shouted, and the group was surrounded by a barrier of light. The insects swarmed them, stinging at the protective wall, but could not get through. However, against what Littlefoot was expecting, they did not back off, but continued their barrage.

"This does not bode well," Littlefoot said worriedly. "When the time cometh that my shield fails, they'll be upon us before the cool down draws nigh."

"No problem," Cera said casually. "Petrie can just blow them away." Petrie said nothing, so she looked up at him, only to find him looking very ill. "Petrie?"

"Ugh, me no feel so good, ugh," he moaned, clutching his stomach. He then proceeded to throw up.

"Gross!" Cera exclaimed at the same time Ducky said, "Ew!"

Littlefoot's shield dissipated, but Ruby yelled "Intervention!" just in time to keep them out a little longer. "Whoa, this power takes so much energy. I can't hold it up for very long."

Littlefoot suddenly had a plan. "Keep thy hold but a moment longer, then release when giveth the word I do," he instructed. Ruby struggled, but managed to do so. "Now!" Ruby quickly relaxed and the barrier fell, then Littlefoot shouted, "Cleansing Wave!" A wall of light shot out from his body, passing through the buzzing buzzers. The wall turned red then vanished. The insects stayed no longer and quickly turned back the way they came.

"Wow, what did you do, Littlefoot?" Ducky asked him curiously.

"I cleansed them of their negative emotion. Their rage was captured in my wall," he explained.

Another groan from Petrie had his friends remembering that he isn't feeling well. Littlefoot gazed at him, and announced, "He seems to have dined on inedible berries."

"Can't you just make another wall and cleanse away his sickness?" Cera asked.

"Nay," he replied. "Emotions and illnesses are of different planes. A sickness is tangible; an emotion is not. This will take a bit more work. Friend, lead on to the food of thine illness."

Petrie felt too sick to move, so he rested on Littlefoot's head and pointed to guide them. They soon arrived in front of a berry bush.

"There," was all he managed to say. Littlefoot craned his neck forward and grabbed a berry into his mouth.

"Littlefoot, what are you doing!" Ducky asked in surprise.

"Are you trying to get sick too?" Cera wondered aloud.

Littlefoot moved the berry around in his mouth, then set it down on a leaf that was lying on the ground. "Friend," he said to Petrie, "Eat that berry and you'll become whole once more."

"I don't think you're crazy, but isn't that a little crazy?" Ruby asked him.

"And gross," Chomper couldn't help but say.

"Your concerns are understandable," he replied, "But you need worry not. By placing that berry inside me, I have purified it. It will now work in the very opposite fashion of before. That kind of meal made him ill, and now, it shall renew him."

Petrie wished Littlefoot hadn't had to put it in his mouth, but he'd do almost anything to get rid of the intense pain he had in his stomach. He picked it up, chewed it slowly, then swallowed. The result was like an explosion. One moment he felt terrible, and the next, he felt great. He flew into the air, doing loops to express his joy.

"Release!" Littlefoot shouted, and his body returned to normal. "It looks like we got away from those buzzing buzzers," he remarked.

"Thank you for helping me," Petrie told him, neglecting the fact that Littlefoot remembers nothing when he transforms.

"Uh, anytime," he replied, wondering what he did. Focusing on the task at hand, he turned to Cera and asked, "Would you please see if Dusk is anywhere near plants?"

"Fine," she replied. In a few seconds, her eyes widened and she turned a slight shade of pale.

"What is it?" he asked her quickly.

"They're- they're- home. Dusk and his group are in the Great Valley."

The children were terrified. Dusk may be causing trouble, even hurting their families, was what was on their minds.

"We have to get back, now!" Littlefoot exclaimed.

"But how?" Ruby wondered. "We don't have the Rainbow Faces to transport us."

Littlefoot looked around him in a panic. He then spotted a large log, and his brain kicked into action. "We can ride that log home," he told them.

"Are you feeling sick too?" Cera asked him. "There isn't a water path to the Great Valley."

"Who said anything about a water path? Petrie, with your wind power, do you think you hold that log into the air and move it with us on it?"

"Me think so."

"You're a genius, a genius you are," Ruby told him, amazed at his idea.

"Aw, it isn't that amazing," he said, turning a slight shade of red.

The kids climbed aboard the log, and Petrie tensed, and the trees around them starting shaking. The log suddenly lifted into the air, and the kids had to hang on tight to avoid falling off. With a slight lurch, the log began moving towards the Great Valley, and to Dusk.

xxxxx

The bright circle shined down on the faces of the Great Valley residents. However, something was not right. Sudden, brief instances of shade caused Dusk to wake up suddenly. Not only was he a light sleeper, but he was very familiar with what was happening.

"Wake up!" he shouted. The others drowsily opened their eyes.

"What is it?" Mr. Three Horn asked gruffly.

"Flying rocks!" he yelled. "We need to get out of the open, now!" The others' eyes opened abruptly, and they got up, scrambling to avoid the showering of rocks from the sky. Mr. Three Horn snatched Tricia up in his mouth and they all started moving towards a cave. Dusk and his companions didn't know the area, but Mr. Three Horn led and they all followed.

Flying rocks fell from all around them, knocking down trees and creating huge splashes from watering holes. The Three Horn family was not used to waking up after a night's sleep and running head on. Mr. Three Horn was tough and he did fine, but Tria developed a cramp in her back leg and started to lag behind. The shadow of a flying rock appeared nearby, and its owner began to draw near. At the rate they all were moving, it would have missed them. However, Tria's leg cramp finally got the better of her, and she tripped and fell.

Dusk heard the "Oomph" from behind him and turned in horror. A flying rock was about to crush her. Mr. Three Horn also turned, exclaiming, "No!" Dusk panicked and suddenly didn't care if he was revealed. He quickly glanced down to the shadow moving beside her, held out his arm, and shouted, "Shadow Pull!" The rock suddenly shifted from its course and slammed down to the location its shadow was. Tria quickly got to her feet, and they all continued running until they arrived at the mouth of cave, immediately entering.

The whole group continued panting for a while but finally settled down. Dusk cringed, expecting one of the Three Horns to ask how he did that. Mr. Three Horn did speak, but his comment made Dusk raise a brow.

"Thank you for warning us, kid." He said nothing about the flying rock suddenly changing course after Dusk moved his arm and shouted. Ceit looked at Dusk as if he wanted to say something. Dusk tipped his head towards farther into the cave and the two of them ventured in for a talk.

"Did you wish to tell me something, Ceit?" Dusk asked.

"In case you were worried, no one saw what you did and said but me."

"How…?"

"I saw what you were getting ready to do, so I made it sound you said 'Oh no!' and made it look like your arms were kept to their sides. It merely seemed like you were worried; your power was not noticed."

"I love you."

Ceit looked shocked. "M- ma lord?"

Dusk let out a heart laugh. "Just a slight exaggeration of how much I appreciate that."

"Ah, heh heh."

They both returned to the others, just as Mr. Three Horn was saying, "Mighty strange if you ask me, the way that flying rock suddenly moved in a different direction."

"Oh Topsy, it doesn't matter. Let's just be thankful," and the two of them nuzzled.

"Well, we're going for a walk. It's been an exciting day and a little stroll will do us good," Dusk announced.

"Okay, have fun you kids. You're welcome to stay with us longer if you decide to," Tria told them. As Dusk and his companions moved on, Tria turned to Topsy. "I don't like those kids being on their own like that, They're too young. Do you think, maybe…"

"Absolutely not! We have two of our own kids to worry about. Still, we may be able to find a family here in the valley that would take them in."

"Good idea. I'll start asking around."

"Alright."

Dusk and his group roamed the Great Valley at a leisurely pace then decided to sit down and relax for a while. He didn't realize it then, but it was very fortunate he had them take a breather at that time. Not far, a flying log was making its way into the valley…


	25. Chapter XXIV

Chapter XXIV: Return to the Valley, Return to the War

In which the gang of seven return home and yet another battle ensues.

"What in the world!" Cera exclaimed, gazing at the devastation in the valley. "Dusk is gonna pay for this big time!"

"Hold it, Cera. I don't think Dusk is responsible for this. That is, unless he controls flying rocks. They're all over the place," Littlefoot reasoned. The log they were riding lowered gently to the ground and the gang dismounted. Petrie was panting, so Littlefoot scooped him up with his tail and let him ride on his back. "Good job, Petrie."

"_Huff_ thank _huff_ you."

"Oh no!" Chomper cried, dismayed. "I forgot to say good-bye to my parents."

Ruby rested a hand on his shoulder. "I'm sure they understand. They probably know you wouldn't take off like that unless it was very important."

"Thanks, Ruby," and she smiled at him.

A voice suddenly rang out, and they all turned their heads. "Littlefoot?"

"Grandpa!" he exclaimed back. He rushed over and nuzzled his head against his grandfather's.

"It was good fortune that you were gone," he told his grandson. "As you can see, things got a little out of hand over here."

"Did these flying rocks seem normal?" Cera asked him.

"What do you mean?" he asked back.

"There was nothing strange about them? Odd colors? Weird shapes?' she inquired further.

"Mm, not that I noticed. They seemed just like the ones that blocked the water to the valley a long time ago."

"I see."

"Now Littlefoot," his grandfather went on, "I think we need to have a little talk. I know how adventurous you are, but your grandma and I really wish you'd start telling us where you are going. We trust you, but we still feel uneasy when you vanish like that."

"I'm sorry, grandpa. I'll work on it," he replied quickly, scanning the area.

"I'm sure grandma would you like to see you," his grandpa continued.

"Can it wait just a little longer?" he pleaded.

His grandpa was taken back at his hesitance to see her. It was so unlike him to have something on his mind over his family. He knew it must be very important and that he'd probably hear about it later, so he simply said, "Alright."

"Can you find them, Cera?" Littlefoot asked.

"Already did. Follow me." The kids entered a run which led them up a hill. "They're really close!" she shouted. They reached the top at a great speed so couldn't stop in time. They collided with a pack of Three Horns and both groups tumbled a short distance then came to a halt.

One of the "Three Horns" looked up in surprise and started to say, "How did you-" but Menta quickly covered Agu's mouth.

"They don't recognize us," she said in his thoughts.

"Oh yeah," Agu thought back, feeling foolish.

"We're really sorry about this," Littlefoot told them all.

Ceit quickly closed his eyes, and Dusk replied, "No problem at all." However, he didn't sound like he normally did. "I can always count on you, Ceit," he thought to himself.

Littlefoot motioned to his friends to move on, and they all followed him down the hill.

"What happened, Cera?" Chomper asked her. "I thought we were tracking Dusk and his friends, not some Three Horns."

"I don't know. Maybe I'm just tired and didn't use my power right. I could have sworn it was Dusk I sensed on that hill."

"Hm," Ruby said thoughtfully. The others turned to her. "Did anyone else notice how many Three Horns were up there?"

"Sorry, me no pay attention to that," Petrie told her.

"Neither did I," Ducky added. Spike shook his head.

"Why do you ask, Ruby?" Littlefoot asked her.

"There were six of them, and it looked like one of them had a stone under his foot. Maybe Cera wasn't wrong…" All of the kids' eyes widened at once in realization.

"Hurry!" Littlefoot exclaimed as they raced back to the hill. However, when they reached the top, the "Three Horns" were gone. In their place, a tiny hole hovered slightly off the ground.

"I remember the Rainbow Faces saying something about how when they warp away, they leave a tiny hole behind that they can be followed with," Ruby recalled.

Littlefoot turned in the direction of his nest. "I'm sorry, grandpa, grandma. This is just too important," he said aloud quietly. "Come on!" he instructed, and the lot of them walked into the hole and vanished.

Dusk and his companions were at the mouth of a cave outside of the Great Valley. They were about to walk in farther when they heard a noise behind them. They turned to see Littlefoot and his friends standing right behind them.

"You caught on quicker than I'd anticipated," Dusk told them.

"This ends now, Dusk. Give up Ali and the stone and we'll walk away," Littlefoot told Dusk.

"Huh? Whaddaya want with me?" Ali asked him curiously.

"Come on, Ali! Snap out of it! You don't belong with them," Cera coaxed.

"You must have me confused with someone else," she told them. "Dusk raised me from a hatchling."

"No, he did not!" Littlefoot exclaimed, outraged at how Ceit was messing with her mind.

"Quiet," Dusk ordered menacingly. "Now, you can forget about Ali and the stone and we'll let _you_ walk away from this."

"Not a chance!" Littlefoot shot back. "We beat you once; we can do it again."

"We learned a lot from last time. You won't be so lucky this time," he replied calmly.

"Littlefoot," Cera said.

"What?"

"Use your dark form."

"But Cera! I might hurt you guys again."

"We'll stay out of your way. It's just that, your light form won't be of much use here. It's about healing, not hurting, and Dusk needs to go down."

"Alright, I understand."

"How about this?" Dusk proposed to Littlefoot. "Why endanger us all? Let's fight, just you and me."

"Fine," he agreed. "Darkness, burn within my body!" and Littlefoot's body shone like night itself. "I have more stamina now. This ends when you die!" he shouted to Dusk.

Dusk raised his arm. "Shadow Pull!" The top of the cave broke loose and fell on him, covering him in shards of stone.

"Littlefoot!" Chomper exclaimed.

The rocks quickly exploded off of him, and he snarled, "That only succeeded in ticking me off!" His front feet began to glow and sharp claws protruded and curled from them. He dashed at Dusk, who dived out of the way. Littlefoot broke clean through the wall of the cave.

"Such power," Dusk marveled. He quickly ran out of the cave to the wooded area just outside.

"You cannot run!" Littlefoot shouted. He followed Dusk outside who had stopped near a tree. Littlefoot tried pouncing on Dusk who barely ducked in time. Littlefoot landed in the shadow of the large tree, and Dusk grinned.

"Shadow Bind!"

Littlefoot tried tearing into him, but stopped abruptly from the weight he suddenly felt behind him.

"I bound your shadow to that tree. You aren't going anywhere." Dusk proceeded to slam Littlefoot to the ground with Shadow Pulls over and over again.

His friends rushed over to help him, but Dusk's group got in their way.

"Your friend agreed to fight one on one," Menta told them. "Are you really going to go against his wishes?"

The Leaf Eaters did not even have to think. "Yes," the said in unison.

"Copy!" Agu yelled and four more of him appeared. "Then you'll have to go through us." He thought to himself, "I got the feel of making four at once back when Dusk was trapped. Now they're in trouble."

"Copy!" Ruby repeated, and there were quickly five of her. "Fine with us."

xxxxx

Littlefoot was panting hard. He had been slammed to the ground with immense force many times. He looked up to see Dusk standing a safe distance away. At least, Dusk through it was safe. Littlefoot's body glowed with intense darkness, and he bolted hard enough that he pulled that tree from its roots. He slashed into Dusk's chest and his whole body erupted in pain. The searing pain caused Dusk to lose focus and the Shadow Bind dissipated.

Littlefoot chuckled and said, "I did not deliver a fatal blow. No, there would be no pleasure in that. The dark energy from my blow is filling your body with an intense agony. I will greatly enjoy watching you writhe in torment."

Dusk could barely move. His whole body felt like it was sitting in fire, but he still managed to look up at Littlefoot defiantly.

Littlefoot spit on him. "You don't seem sore enough!" He whipped his tail back and let loose a mighty sweep that sent Dusk sailing into a tree. He coughed up a small amount of blood. Littlefoot dashed into him with so much force that the tree behind him started to splinter.

xxxxx

Ruby's and Agu's copies were struggling against each other evenly; none were winning. Chomper watched five Agu's fight five Ruby's and didn't know where to jump in.

"Strength," Ali said, and started to dance. She swung her tail around, whipped her head back and forth, and moved her body rhythmically.

Agu's copies started to overpower Ruby's until they had all vanished. They all made their way to the helpless Ruby until Chomper stood between them.

"I'll handle them, Ruby," he told her.

Ruby knew that Chomper's great strength might be enough for all five Agus, but she did not leave it to chance. "Strength," she said, and started to move her body in a fashion similar to Ali's.

Chomper paused, his now-intense strength nearly overwhelming him. All five copes piled on top of him, but he threw them all off with one move. The copies vanished, leaving Agu wide open.

Ali was at a loss. Any power up that she made for Agu would simply be copied for Chomper. Then she had an idea. She quickly ran away, far enough into the cave to be out of eyesight.

"Looks like you've been left alone," Chomper told Agu.

"I don't think so," Ruby said. Running after Ali, she added, "I think she's trying to keep from being copied."

Ruby hurried into the cave, turning the corner to find Ali. The Long Neck, however, was waiting. She slid her tail on the ground in a fell swoop, knocking Ruby off of her feet. With Ruby on the ground, Ali continued to lift her tail and bring it down hard on Ruby's head, knocking her out. She ran back out to see Chomper taking out more of Agu's copies, and Agu himself panting hard.

"Don't worry, Agu. We can take him," she encouraged.

"Where's Ruby?" Chomper demanded.

"Wouldn't you like to know?" Ali retorted. "Quick, make some copies." Agu did so, and she said, "Speed," while starting to dance.

Agu's copies rushed Chomper very quickly. They all collided with him at once, knocking him down. Chomper swung at one of them, but it moved out of the way with ease. Chomper saw that the real one was standing back safely beside Ali. He rushed him, trying to defeat the copies at their source, but Agu dashed away.

"How do I defeat someone I can't catch?" he thought desperately. Then he remembered the fight against Redclaw and his Fast Biters, especially Thud. He smiled, knowing how to get them all at once. He raised both hands and brought them down hard onto the ground. There was a small tremor and Agu, his copies, and Ali lost their balance and fell to the ground.

"Ugh, you won't beat us again!" Agu shouted. The tension of the battle was really getting to him. This was the first time he'd made four copies without help, but his adrenaline wasn't letting him stop there. "Copy!" Another two copies came out, making seven Agus in all. Though he wasn't breathing hard before, with seven copies he seemed to be gasping for breath, barely able to stand.

"No, Agu! That's too many. You'll exhaust yourself," Ali said as she stopped worriedly.

"I'm fine," he replied, but he was trembling. They all rushed Chomper who stood tense, and Ali began her dance of strength once more to account for how weak Agu was getting. Chomper flexed his muscles and starting wailing at the copies.

They began to vanish, one by one, but Chomper's strength was waning. Powered up, they were taking numerous punches to go down. Chomper defeated the last copy and fell to his knees.

"Now, Agu! Take him down while he's defenseless," Ali shouted.

Agu rushed with his claws out, but Chomper suddenly rose to his feet and grabbed him by the throat.

"Ho- how…?" he choked.

Chomper pointed behind Agu and he turned slightly to see Ruby back and dancing.

"It's over," Chomper told them. Chomper let Agu go who immediately lunged at him. Chomper shoved him back with great force, sending him back a great distance into the outer part of the cave wall, dazing him. Ali rushed to his side while Chomper shook his head. "They just don't know when to give up."

xxxxx

A tree began to collapse on Menta, but she telepathically shoved it back. "You waste your time," she called to Cera. "Anything you throw at me, I can throw back." Several trees started falling on her but with one swing of her arm, they all shot backwards.

Petrie flapped his wings and a small whirlwind formed, coming right for Menta. She simply pulled her arm back and Petrie was thrust head-on into the very attack he'd created. He started spinning uncontrollably until the wind finally died down, but he was too dizzy to see straight. He accidentally shot a gust of wind right at Cera who was knocked back hard into a tree. The tree lowered its leafy branches just in time to cushion the impact.

"Watch what you're doing!" Cera roared.

Petrie looked at Cera who looked like three Ceras to him, and said, "Me sorry."

"I have a plan," Cera whispered to him. "I'm gonna throw a tree at her and you make the attack stronger with wind like we did with Redclaw. She won't be strong enough to shoot it back."

"Gotcha," he replied.

Cera focused and a giant tree uprooted and came right for Menta, Petrie flapped his wings hard, sending a gust behind it that greatly increased the force it went through the air. Menta, however, did not try shooting it back. She dived out of the way and the tree went crashing into the cave behind them.

"Ugh," Cera moaned.

"They seem to have forgotten I read minds," Menta thought to herself.

"New plan," she said to Petrie. "I'm going to throw one to her, and when she dodges, blast it back. She won't expect the tree that misses her to come back." Menta grinned.

Cera ripped out another tree with her energy and it came flying towards Menta. She dodged again, then turned to prepare for it to come back. Instead of the tree flying back however, Menta was hit in the back with a strong blast of wind. She staggered to her feet, but Cera quickly had the tree behind her wrap around Menta, holding in place.

"You can't move things if you can't move your arms," Cera taunted.

"I don't understand. You were planning to have that tree swing back and hit me, but that didn't happen."

"Hee, think we forgot you can read minds?" Cera asked. "I said that strategy to Petrie while thinking about it, but even though I kept picturing that same strategy, I told Petrie my real plan. That way, reading my mind worked against you."

"Clever girl…" Menta thought dejectedly.

xxxxx

Ceit swooped down, clutched Ducky in his talons and flew into the cave. Spike followed in hot pursuit, but Ducky suddenly ran out of the cave. "Get him, Spike!" Spike charged into the cave, but he was stunned to see Ducky inside the cave as well. The one inside said, "No, get _him_, Spike! He made himself look like me!" Spike turned to the one outside, who screamed, "Quick, Spike! I'm the real one! Get him before he does anything else!" Spike placed his head on the ground and covered it with his front feet. This scenario was making his head hurt.

The real Ducky had an idea, recalling Ceit's lack of altering the sense of smell. "Spike, use your sniffer!"

Spike went over to her, smelled her, then went to the other one. They smelled no different from each other.

"Oh no," she thought to herself. "He did not slip up this time." Getting a new plan, she called out, "Remember when we got the night flowers for Littlefoot's sick grandpa?" she asked, trying to prove it was really her.

"Yes," Ceit added, "And they ended up making him all better, yep yep yep."

Ducky's mouth dropped open. "How did he-?" she wondered, puzzled, not knowing that Ceit had met Littlefoot's grandfather. The few trees around were rotting and dry. Ducky had no water to manipulate to prove that she was the real one. Spike lifted his front foot and brought it down hard into a mud puddle, splattering both Duckys. One laughed while the other said, "Hey, what did you do that for?" Spike ran over to the one spoke, hardened his head, then swung it hard, knocking Ceit into a tree who changed back from the impact.

"Good thinking, Spike," Ducky cheered. Spike had cleverly reenacted the time Ducky was splashed by the mud the day before they had all met Mo. The battle was now drawing to a close.


	26. Chapter XXV

**Chapter XXV: The Battle's End, and the Journey's Beginning**

In which the fighting stops and new territory is ventured to.

Coaley peered out from the outer side of the cave. She was no fighter, and as such, all that was expected of her was transportation. She looked at her fallen comrades in a panic. They were too spread out to reach all of them with her warp power. Littlefoot was still wailing on Dusk, and she finally couldn't take it anymore. She reach down, picked up a stick, ran over to Littlefoot and clomped him on the head. The stick instantly broke and he turned to her.

"I see that you have a death wish, brat." He turned his attention toward her, but Chomper tackled Littlefoot and they rolled away.

"Chomper, what are you-?" Coaley began.

"We're even now," was his reply.

Littlefoot's body glowed again, and the immense heat caused Chomper to lose his grip. Chomper looked down to see small burns on his body. Littlefoot's claws extended and he lurched at Chomper. Suddenly, Chomper was gone. Coaley and he appeared a small distance away.

"Looks like you owe me again," she said playfully with her tongue out. Chomper grinned, but quickly turned his attention back to Littlefoot. The enraged Long Neck raised his front foot and his claws shot out of it, pelting Chomper all over. The pain was so intense that Chomper began to drift in and out of consciousness, until he finally collapsed.

Thick branches swung down and clutched Littlefoot tightly, but he quickly broke free. Spike hardened his entire body and rushed at Littlefoot. He braced for impact, but Spike stopped short. He then opened his mouth and began licking his neck. Littlefoot was perplexed at this, but he managed to regain his senses and recognize who his friends were so shouted, "Release!"

Littlefoot quickly scanned the area, and seeing Chomper down, he rushed over to him. "Please," he began, "Please say I didn't do this to him!" None of his friends said a word.

"Of course you did this!" a familiar voice rang out. "That's what happens when you don't heed my warnings." Reina walked over to Chomper and lifted him up. "Eh, no fatal injuries. You got lucky. Thanks to the increased healing capability of the stone's power, his wounds won't be around too long." She glanced over to the bloody Dusk and pried away the stone he was clutching tightly. "Good work, all of you. Thanks to your efforts, the stone has been recovered. I'm a bit too tired to transport you all home, but I'm sure you'll make it back just fine. You'll lose your powers eventually with the stone gone, so maybe have some fun until then. See ya." A light shone down from the sky, and Reina vanished.

Dusk saw the Rainbow Face vanish, and a tear formed in his eye. His dream was over. Life would remain hard for Sharpteeth. He managed to get to his feet, and helped his comrades up.

Littlefoot was in shock after hurting his friend so badly, but Chomper told him not to worry and pointed at a female Long Neck. Littlefoot quickly turned. "Let Ali go. Now! The stone is gone, so you have no more reason to use her."

"Use her? Ali is our friend," Agu argued.

"Friend! You're changing her thoughts so she'll like you!" Littlefoot yelled, outraged.

"You're just confused," Ali told him softly. "Dusk and the others are my family. They always have been."

"No, they have not!" Littlefoot shouted all the more.

"Coaley, let's get going," Dusk told her. "I don't care where, just away from here and not the Great Valley."

"Okey dokey Dusky. Warp." Dusk's group vanished, leaving behind a warp hole, as usual. Littlefoot immediately began to follow, but a groan from Chomper made him instead rush to his friend's side.

"It- it hurts," he said, starting to cry.

"I am so, so sorry, Chomper," he told him.

"It's okay, buddy. That wasn't really you. You were just taken over by your power. I'm not mad," but he quickly clutched his bleeding shoulder in pain. "But don't worry. Reina said that the stone's power makes us heal faster."

"Not good enough!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "Light, shine within my heart!" After a brief glare of light, a white Littlefoot stood before his friend. He rested his front foot on each of Chomper's gashes and burns, and in seconds, they were gone, save one. Littlefoot focused harder on the final one, but while it healed, it left a small scar.

"I offer my sincerest apologies, dear friend. After donning the force of darkness for so long, my powers are diminished. I had not the strength to heal the last wound properly. It will forever be a mark on your body."

Chomper touched the scar on his shoulder gingerly. "That's alright, Littlefoot. I am glad to always have a part of you with me."

Both of them started to tear up, and they embraced. Littlefoot then released his power, returning to normal.

"Oh no! The warp hole is gone!" Littlefoot exclaimed. "We have to save Ali. Cera?"

"No good," she replied. "They aren't near any plants. They could be anywhere, so looking around probably won't do us much good. I will check often to see if I can locate her. For now, let's all get home. Petrie, could you fly another log back to the Great Valley for us?"

"Sure thing!"

The gang hopped on, though Littlefoot did so reluctantly, and it lifted into the air. As they flew along, "Think we should tell our families what happened?" Littlefoot asked.

"Eh, a stone that grant wishes, magic powers, Rainbow Faces from another world, and so on I think would be a little too much for my dad," Cera admitted.

"If mom knew me go on such dangerous adventure, she may never let me out of her sight again," Petrie said.

"Yeah, same with our mom," Ducky said. Spike nodded in agreement.

"Okay, then this will all be our secret," Littlefoot told them. "Our greatest adventure of all time." The log finally landed in the Great Valley, and the children returned to their families. They had all agreed to say that they went to visit Chomper's parents, which actually wasn't a lie. They were all scolded for not asking permission, but that was all. The kids returned to their normal lives as they waited for their powers to fade. Or at least, most of them returned to normal living.

"See those tree sweets, Tria?" Topsy asked her.

"You mean the ones way up top? Yes, they look especially delicious."

"Well in a few moments, they're all yours." He stepped back then started to charge. He hit the tree with an intense force, but the fruits didn't do so much as to shake. He repeated this three more times with no results.

"Watch and learn, dad," Cera said slyly, emerging from behind a bush. She ran back a short distance, hit the tree head on, and all of the tree sweets fell to the ground.

"That was amazing, Cera!" her father complimented.

"Oh, you just gotta know how to work with trees," she replied, and grinned deviously.

xxxxx

"I can't believe it's over," Dusk said quietly. "Now the lives of all Sharpteeth won't improve at all."

Menta sat next to him and placed a hand on his shoulder. "I am glad things turned out this way. A life without you is no improvement at all, no matter what changes."

"Thank you," he replied with a smile. Then he recalled his dream and began to wonder if this really was for the best. Ceit could alter her memories, but with the stone gone, Ceit was lose his powers. When he did, Menta would remember everything and may just kill herself. Dusk cringed at the thought of her dying like that.

"Menta," Coaley began, "You said that the stone doesn't take a life if used in their world, right?"

"Yes, but why do you ask, Coaley?"

"I don't want Dusky feeling sad forever, so I followed that Rainbow Face into that light, and got taken to her world. I quickly warped back before she could notice. So if you really want to get your wish, Dusky, I can now warp us all to their world where we can get the stone back."

Dusk's face brightened and he gave her a big hug. "I love you," he said, and Coaley blushed.

**Two days later…**

"You're it!" Cera called out as she tagged Littlefoot.

"Maybe, but not for long!" he called back. Littlefoot started running towards Spike, but a Rainbow Face appeared in his way. He screeched to a halt to avoid a collision. "Reina? What are you doing here?" he asked her.

"I have no idea how, but Dusk and his group have gotten into our world. They have stolen the stone and we can't find them. We really need Cera's plant ability to find them again, and the rest of you would be a big help as well."

"I would think that they probably came back to our world by now," Littlefoot reasoned.

"No, I am sure that they have not," she replied. "The stone was designed so that if it ever left our world, it would require a life to be taken, so it was certain that no one would steal it and flee to get a wish granted. It requires five dinosaurs to make the wish, and the one who would die must be predetermined. Dusk, to our surprise, wasn't shaken by the cost. However, in its original world, the cost is different. It instead requires two extra wishers, but no life. Dusk's group is only of six, so they've reached a stand off. Our denizens have been warned of Dusk's intent, so he is unable to get anyone around to help him. However, I fear that he'll find someone at some point to give him aid, and if he does, as I've said, this world will be in grave danger."

"Do you know yet what he wants to wish for?" Littlefoot asked. The little Long Neck just couldn't shirk the fact that he had his doubts about Dusk really being evil. He saved Chomper, after all.

"No, but as the prophecy warned, it spells doom. My kind cannot bear the thought of our project damaging another source of life, so we are doing all we can to stop him. Will you kids help us again?"

"If Dusk's gets his wish, we're all in trouble, so we don't really have a choice. Guys?" Littlefoot asked, and all of them nodded in agreement.

"Thank you," Reina told them, and she focused as a large beam of light enveloped them, and then they were gone.


	27. Epilogue

**Epilogue**

In which the duo come to a temporary stop.

"Why are you stopping?" a small child wanted to know. "That isn't the end."

"It is waaay past your bedtime," his father announced. "Your mother will have my head if I keep you up any longer."

"But mommy isn't here," he argued.

"Exactly. The point is to get you to bed _before_ she catches us, otherwise, there will be trouble. I know that there is a lot more to the story, and that there are many unanswered questions you must have, but I'll have to pick this up tomorrow night."

"How much more is left?" he asked his father. "I didn't see before you closed the book."

"'Legend of the Seven Heroes' is divided into three segments: 'Dawn of the Seven Heroes,' then 'Journey of the Seven Heroes,' and finally, 'Struggle of the Seven Heroes.' I just finished the 'Dawn' segment. I'll read the second part tomorrow, and if we run out of time again, I'll read the last part the next day."

"Ooh, I can't wait!" the child said, getting fidgety. His father laughed, then froze as a new shadow entered the room.

"What, pray tell, is going on?" a voice called out.

"Erm, well I, you see-"

"Save it, dear. It's plain to see that you're breaking your own curfew rules. I think I'll give one of the servants a day off tomorrow. Can you guess who will be filling in?"

"Yes, sweetheart," he replied solemnly.

"Now, off to bed, son," she said, giving the boy a kiss on the forehead.

"Night mom."

His mother blew out the candle lighting the room and marched her husband straight to bed while he hung his head sorrowfully. The child fell back against his bed. He could barely sleep. His thoughts were on the next installment of Littlefoot and company as he tried to imagine what adventures they would have next.

**The End**

**To be continued in "The Land Before Time: Journey of the Seven Heroes."**

**Thank you for reading. The Land Before Time and all affiliated characters belong to Universal Cartoon Studios. Any characters that did not appear in a movie or television episode are owned by me.**


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